Taylor provides fitness update on Park, Shaw and Roord | OneFootball

Gareth Taylor says Jess Park, Bunny Shaw and Jill Roord are all in his thinking for the mouthwatering home clash with FC Barcelona.

City take on the current holders in Matchday One of the UEFA Women’s Champions League on Wednesday, kick-off 20:00 (UK).

Park missed out on the 2-0 WSL victory over West Ham at the weekend with a foot problem but the manager says she will come back into the squad this week.

2023/24’s PFA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year Shaw, meanwhile, was a second half substitute in the Joie Stadium victory as she battled back from a groin complaint but Taylor says she’s fine for the exciting clash with Pere Romeu’s side.

Roord made her first start in nine months against the Hammers after overcoming an ACL injury she picked up in City’s League Cup win against Manchester United in January.

She played the opening 45 minutes before being replaced by summer signing Vivianne Miedema and Taylor says she has a role to play on Wednesday but stopped short of revealing what that would be.

WATCH: Classic highlights: City 2-1 Barcelona (2021)

“Jess Park is back in the reckoning,” the head coach told media at the pre-match press conference.

“We could’ve pushed her for West Ham but she’s played a lot in pre-season and without Jill.

“She’s back in the fold which is great.

“Bunny’s fine. We could’ve pushed it and tried to start her but she didn’t have the training minutes.

“She made a good contribution when she came onto the pitch.

“She’ll have a role for sure,” Taylor added when addressing Roord’s fitness.

“What that looks like is hard to predict without giving too much away.

“To have her back at the weekend was amazing, she was introduced against Brighton which was good, her performance in the first half was good.

“We saw an improved Jill Roord to what we saw last season and it’s important we don’t put too much expectancy on her, players with this injury, it’s natural when they come back to not hit the ground running.

“If one player was likely to smash it, its Jill because she’s that good but the 45 minutes here showed we’ve got an improved version.”

Taylor accepts that all his players will want to play in the glamour tie against the team who have won three out of the last four Champions Leagues.

But he made it clear that the whole squad, including those who don’t start against Barca, would be hugely important in the coming days, weeks and month with the Blues looking to thrive in a variety of competitions, including the UCL and WSL.

“Everyone wants to play in this game, it means more to some than others like our Spanish players but we have to focus on the game and what we think will make us successful,” he added.

“The ones who don’t start, there might be disappointment but we have so many games that are demanding in the WSL and UCL.

“We go to Anfield at the weekend then Austria. It’s exciting and to expect the team not to change, it’s not going to happen.

“We gave a good account of ourselves at the weekend, we changed a few things and everyone’s given a good bid to be in the team.”