View: Carla Ward faces Aston Villa Women defensive dilemma ahead of Conti Cup quarter-final v Arsenal
Carla Ward has been struck by a defensive dilemma before her Aston Villa side takes on Arsenal in the quarter-final of the Conti Cup on Thursday evening (26 January).
Although arriving on the back of a 2-1 win over Tottenham and a score draw against WSL high-flyers Manchester City, Ward will be without a trio of key players for the crucial cup tie.
Midfielder Lucy Staniforth is unavailable to play after featuring for Manchester United in the competition earlier this season, centre-back Anna Patten is ineligible to face her parent club Arsenal, while Saturday’s captain Danielle Turner has picked up a concussion.
With both of Villa’s starting centre-backs from the weekend’s draw out of action, a shuffling of the pack may be on the cards in order to try to keep out the star-studded Arsenal attack.
Rachel Corsie managed to get 45 minutes under her belt at the weekend after returning from injury, so it is likely she will be deemed fit to start from the first whistle at centre-back, with one of Meaghan Sargeant or Evie Rabjohn likely to join her in the heart of the defence.
Neither of these defenders are yet to start under Ward so far this term, so being drafted into the starting line-up is a worrying prospect considering the magnitude of the match.
Rabjohn, 17, is highly regarded among the corridors of power in the West Midlands but has made just one substitute appearance for the first team this term.
Her talent is undoubted, with the Daily Mail [20 August] reporting that Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City were all chasing the defender in the summer transfer window to no avail, and this could be her moment to prove her class on the big stage if selected.
You can’t help but feel this match has come a little too soon for the young Villan, though, with Ward far more likely to side with the experience of 28-year-old Sargeant, who has racked up 12 appearances since her move to Villa Park in 2021.
Whatever back-four Ward selects, Corsie will need to be at her very best to navigate her less experienced counterparts through the match.
Neither defensive combination will instil full confidence in Ward against the potent attacking riches that Arsenal possess, but needs must.
In other Aston Villa news, a 17-year-old academy prospect has signed his first professional contract with the club.