Chelsea boss Emma Hayes has offered an update on the status of England captain Millie Bright as she continues to recover from a knee injury.
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Bright out since mid-November with knee injuryHayes says Chelsea star is still recoveringNo timeline on England captain's returnWHAT HAPPENED?
Bright hasn't played since mid-November due to a knee injury. It has forced her to not only miss key games for Chelsea but also for England, with the Lionesses' skipper – Bright taking that responsibility while Leah Williamson is sidelined – having to withdraw from the squad in December. It meant she missed the two crucial matches that saw England fall short of reaching the UEFA Women's Nations League finals, thus ending Great Britain's chances of qualifying for the Olympic women's football tournament.
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Speaking to, Hayes said of Bright: "She's in rehab at the minute and working hard on that. I can't give a timeline for a return, as I've said many times over, but she's in good spirits and she'll be back as soon as she can make it back. I'm sure she'd put her boots on today if I asked but we just need to get it right for Millie's long-term future."
Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Bright was a crucial absentee as Chelsea fell to a disappointing 4-1 defeat to title rivals Arsenal in December and it seems likely that she will miss some big games in January, too, with the Blues taking on Manchester United in the Women's Super League before concluding their Champions League group stage campaign with games against Real Madrid and Paris FC. She isn't the only big name that will be missing either, following the news this week that star striker Sam Kerr has ruptured her ACL and will be sidelined for the rest of the season.
DID YOU KNOW?
Chelsea have won the last four WSL titles in succession but injuries to Bright and Kerr mean they face some task in extending their dominance of English women's football and making it five on the bounce this year.