Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor remains optimistic about the fitness of Jamaica international Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw ahead of Friday’s Women’s Super League match against Chelsea, despite her early substitution in their recent victory over Arsenal.
Shaw, who started in the match against Arsenal, was substituted after 62 minutes due to a calf strain, according to Taylor. However, he assured that the decision to substitute Shaw was precautionary.
Taylor commended Shaw’s dedication, mentioning that she was eager to play despite her injury concern. He explained that the substitution was made to manage her workload and inject fresh energy into the team.
“Bunny is okay. She’s been nursing a bit of a calf strain,” Taylor said. “Fair play to her, she really wanted to play in this game today and put herself out there.”
A pivotal player for Manchester City in the WSL this season
He added, “We thought we might be able to get a little bit more from her, so it (her substitution) was a mixture really. I thought we could get a bit more energy down the middle and Lauren [Hemp] gives you that [and] Mary (Fowler) comes on to the pitch.”
Shaw has been a pivotal player for Manchester City in the WSL this season, contributing significantly with 13 goals and three assists in 12 games. Her consistent performance has been instrumental in City’s campaign, with her recent hat trick against Liverpool underscoring her impact.
Despite the injury scare, Manchester City remains in a strong position in the Women’s Super League, currently sitting in second place with 31 points, just three points behind league leaders Chelsea.
