Fujino returns for League Cup final | OneFootball

Aoba Fujino is set to return to the starting line-up ahead ahead of City's League Cup final clash with Chelsea.

The Japan international had been ruled out of our previous two fixtures with a foot injury, but has been given the nod for our clash with Chelsea.

It's the only change from Nick Cushing as our Interim Head Coach prepares to take charge of his first game after returning to the Club earlier this week.

Jess Park drops to the bench in Fujino's place, with the winger expected to start on the right flank in Saturday's 12:15 (UK) kick-off.

Team News

City XI: Yamashita, Casparij, Prior, Aleixandri (C), Ouahabi, Hasegawa, Miedema, Roord, Fujino, Fowler, Shaw. Subs: Keating, Layzell, Coombs, Wienroither, Kerolin Nicoli, Park, Blindkilde Brown, Oyama, Murphy.

WATCH: Chelsea v City: Our Subway League Cup final awaits...

Tactics

Ayaka Yamashita starts between the sticks with a back four of Kerstin Casparij, Gracie Prior, Laia Aleixandri and Leila Ouahabi.

Yui Hasegawa is expected to sit at the base of the City midfield three, allowing Dutch internationals Vivianne Miedema and Jill Roord to support the attack.

At the sharp end, Fujino will start on the right flank, with Mary Fowler occupying the opposite wing.

Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw will then lead the line as centre-forward.

WATCH: This is where we want to be, says Shaw

Fujino's spark

Aoba Fujino has really hit the ground running in the new year for City, picking up two goals and three assists in her last five appearances.

Her dynamism out on the flank could prove vital for the Blues this afternoon once again as she looks to recapture that form after a brief injury lay-off.

With a low centre of gravity and an excellent eye for a pass, she's not only a threat herself in front of goal, but is also capable of unlocking defences by bringing others into the game.

Prior gets the nod

Gracie Prior has only made ten senior appearances for City, but you can see the young centre-half growing in confidence every time she features.

The 20-year-old will line-up alongside Aleixandri this afternoon in what is perhaps her biggest test so far in a City shirt.

However, her composure on the ball and strong physical presence mean she's more than up to the challenge.

Match Stats

-Chelsea and Manchester City will compete in the Women’s League Cup final for a second time, also doing so in 2021-22 when the London side took a 1-0 lead before City won the trophy with a 3-1 victory.

-Both Chelsea and Manchester City are competing in their sixth Women’s League Cup final – Chelsea won their first two (2020, 2021) but have been runners-up in each of the last three seasons, while City have won the trophy in four of their five finals (2014, 2016, 2019, 2022), losing 1-0 to Arsenal in 2018.

-Manchester City’s victory against Arsenal in the semi-final this season was their 50th win in the Women’s League Cup, becoming the second side with 50+ victories after Arsenal (55). The side with the third-most wins are Chelsea (40).

-Chelsea have won 20 of their last 24 matches in the Women’s League Cup (D1 L3) but their three defeats in that time have all been in the finals in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

-Vivianne Miedema scored in the 2018 Women’s League Cup final for Arsenal against the Blues. The only player to score in the final for two different clubs is Ellen White (2011 and 2013 for Arsenal, 2022 for Manchester City).

CHELSEA V CITY APP COVERAGE

As always, you can follow Saturday’s League Cup final on the official Man City app.

Our Matchday Centre coverage will get under way from 10:45 (UK), providing you with all the pre-match build-up, stats and analysis before live text and audio commentary from kick-off.

A special Matchday Live show, featuring special guests Karen Bardsley, Toni Duggan and Steve Howey, will also get under way from 11:10 to offer a City-centric feel to your match experience.

From kick-off, Nick Walsh and Karen Bardsley will call the action from the commentary box while our text updates continue. Make sure you have push notifications turned on so you get live updates as they happen via our app.

After the final whistle, a detailed match report plus reaction from both interim Head Coach Cushing and the players will then be available to view.

Highlights from the final, plus a CITY+ full-match replay, will also be made available four hours after full-time on Saturday.