Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor says two keys stars will remain absent when the defending champions start their WSL campaign against Manchester City.
Ramirez and James remain injuredChelsea boss issues update on return of starsChampions Chelsea begin campaign against Man CityFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Blues boss has revealed two keys stars – Mayra Ramirez and Lauren James – will be absent for the season curtain-raiser against Manchester City. Ramirez was the big-money signing in January 2024 following the ACL injury to Sam Kerr, but underwent hamstring surgery after picking up an injury in pre-season. And James was injured during England Lionesses' semi-final with Sweden, but was hooked before half-time in the final against Spain during the victorious Euro 2025 campaign.
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For James, her recovery period is being measured in weeks, but the forecast is not so rosy for Ramirez. After hamstring surgery, the Colombia striker will not feature for the Blues again this year and is expected to return in January 2026.
WHAT BOMPASTOR SAID
Bompastor said about Ramirez: "It's sad for everyone, first of all for her. She had successful surgery, which is something positive, but it's sad for Mayra, it's sad for us because she was a really important player for us in the squad. You never want to be in that situation but, again, it happens. For me now, it's making sure as a staff that we just give her a speedy recovery. It's a big loss for us."
"And on James, she said: "LJ is doing fine. Again, it's difficult to put a timeframe on her because everyone is different. Her rehab is going in the right direction. I'm not expecting to see Lauren for the next few weeks, but hopefully soon because, again, she's an important player and we need her on the pitch."
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR JAMES AND RAMIREZ?
Boss Bompastor has a number of headaches heading into the new season. James is likely to miss key clashes against Man City, Aston Villa, Leicester and West Ham. While Ramirez will be focusing on the long slog back to fitness. And Lucy Bronze is absent, too. Plenty to ponder for the defending champions.
