Chelsea host West Ham on Wednesday evening in a rescheduled WSL clash.

The initial fixture had been due to take place in December but was postponed following a Covid-19 outbreak in the Chelsea camp.

The pair met seven days earlier in the Continental Cup quarter finals, with Chelsea running out 4-2 winners thanks to a Pernille Harder hat-trick.

Here’s everything you need to know about Wednesday’s game.

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When is kick off? Wednesday 26 January, 19:00 (GMT)
Where is the match being played? Kingsmeadow
TV Channel/ livestream? BBC Red Button, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport Website

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Chelsea remain without top scorer Sam Kerr and influential midfielder Ji So-yun, with the pair still on international duty at the Asia Cup.

Captain Magdalena Eriksson has not featured for the Blues since sustaining an injury against Wolfsburg in December and is expected to miss out once more. Melanie Leupolz is struggling with long Covid, and Maren Mjelde is also sidelined.

Emma Hayes has admitted that striker Lauren James could be named among the subs – but due to necessity because of their depleted squad, with the 20-year-old unlikely to feature.

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West Ham have also been affected by the Asia Cup and are missing Australian internationals Mackenzie Arnold and Tameka Yallop, and Japan midfielder Yui Hasegawa.

Canadian international Adriana Leon remains sidelined after undergoing surgery on a fractured foot. Maisie Barker is also a long-term absentee, having picked up a foot injury in pre-season.

Hawa Cissoko will be available once more, having served her one game suspension following her sending off against Tottenham.

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Chelsea: Berger; Nouwen, Bright Carter; Reiten, Ingle, Andersson, Cuthbert; Kirby, Fleming, Harder.

West Ham: Leat; Fisk, Cissoko, Flaherty; Longhurst, Svitkova, Stringer, Wyne, Evans; Brynjarsdottir, Walker.

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Chelsea have gone a full two WSL matches without finding the back of the net, and West Ham are vastly improved defensively under Olli Harder this season. The Hammers are unbeaten in the WSL since 7 November, and have kept two clean sheets in their last four league outings.

However, Chelsea will be expected to get back to winning ways – but with their increasingly stretched squad, it will likely not be as emphatic as their recent 4-2 Continental Cup victory.

Despite dropping points in their last two league outings, title rivals Arsenal have also slipped up, meaning the Blues can move to within a point of the WSL leaders with victory.

Prediction: Chelsea 2-1 West Ham

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