NewsGareth Taylor column: Injury updates and a Merseyside derby cup tie to relish

It’s a really important week for us as a squad as we build up to a clash with Everton in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup.

A quarter-final place awaits the winner so we’ll be giving it everything we can to try to progress and go on a run in the cup.

I know how much this game will mean for our supporters and it would be great to give them something to cheer about on Sunday, prior to the upcoming international break.

• Get tickets for Sunday's Merseyside derby here

They travelled in numbers again last weekend to Chelsea and we could hear them throughout, just as we have so often this season.

On the pitch we weren’t able to deliver the result for them at Kingsmeadow, though I felt there were lots of positives for us to take from the game.

There were large periods where we had decent control, which is difficult to do against a team of Chelsea’s quality, and I said after the game it felt much better than, say, the game against Manchester United because I felt we tried to play our way.

It was probably in both boxes where we needed to be a little better because, as we know, that is where football matches are usually decided.

Their goals came at tough times as well and were sucker-punches so there is definitely plenty to work on, but overalI I felt it was a step forward. We showed far more courage and bravery on and off the ball and the identity we want to have was much more on display.

One negative was the injury to Alice Bergstrom just before the first Chelsea goal. She will need to have a scan this week but I think it’s unlikely she will be available for us for this weekend.

As you know, Sofie Lundgaard had successful surgery on her injury last week and we will all be here to support her as it is going to be a fairly lengthy battle back to fitness for her, something which is really tough as she had worked so hard to overcome previous setbacks.

With Fuka Nagano joining Risa Shimizu in the Japan squad for the Asian Cup – well done to both of them – midfield will be an area we have to manage carefully while they are away.

Anna Josendal is getting closer and closer every day. We’ll see if she can play some part against Everton but, if she doesn’t make it, we should certainly have her back for the Leicester City game on our return after the long international break.

In terms of our FA Cup opponents, Everton have enjoyed a run of three straight victories in the WSL so will arrive in St Helens in good spirits.

We started our league season against them way back in September at Anfield and things didn’t go our way, but we’re a different team now and we’re looking forward to having our fans being right behind us at St Helens Stadium.

We’ll be giving everything to make sure our name is in the hat for the draw for the next round after the weekend. Hopefully see you on Sunday.

YNWA,

Gareth