Liverpool Women prep for huge match as major milestone celebrated

Latest Liverpool Women news round-up as the Reds prep for a huge FA Cup clash against Chelsea

Liverpool Women head into the international break on the back of two consecutive WSL defeats but with a huge game on the horizon in the FA Cup. The Reds will step up preparations for a meeting with Chelsea when they return to action and will look to put losses to both Arsenal and Aston Villa behind them.

Interim boss Amber Whiteley has overseen some impressive results since stepping in for Matt Beard earlier this year, and she will be desperate to lead the Reds to cup glory, with the winner of Liverpool's meeting with Chelsea meeting either Manchester United or Man City in the final.

Here's the latest LFC Women's news:

Olivia Smith injury hurts

Liverpool boss Amber Whiteley admitted that the Reds missed forward Olivia Smith in the defeat to Aston Villa. The forward missed the game with a hip injury and her absence was felt as Liverpool lost 2-1.

Whiteley said: Yeah, I think we missed her pace in the top line, and that’s where they have been vulnerable in recent weeks. But it gave opportunity for Leanne [Kiernan] to come into the team, for Mia [Enderby] to get minutes today. There’s positives in that respect."

And summing up her feelings about the loss, she said: "Yeah, not a lot in the game. I think we did well to go 1-0 up, a great break from a corner to win a penalty. I just didn’t think we did enough then to protect the lead, and that’s something we have done really well in recent weeks. And when we have been up we have been hard to beat then. It’s something we need to look at and learn from for after the [international] break."

Liverpool players called up to international duty

A total of 14 Liverpool players have embarked on international duties with their respective nations over the next fortnight. Leanne Kiernan is with the Republic of Ireland while Jenna Clark and Sam Kerr are both with Scotland. Gemma Evans and Ceri Holland are with Wales.

Marie Hobinger and Sophie Roman Haug are with Austria and Norway respectively. Cornelia Kapocs is hoping to earn her first cap for Sweden.

Teagan Micah is headed Down Under with Ausralia, Fuka Nagano is with Japan and youngsters Mia Enderby and Lucy Parry are out with England U23s. Julia Bartel is with Spain U23s and Zara Shaw is with England under-19s.

Laws pride at Liverpool century

Liverpool goalkeeper Rachael Laws hit a century of appearances for the Reds in style recently, keeping a clean sheet in the impressive FA Cup quarter-final win over Arsaenal.

And having previously won the WSL title with the Reds back in 2013, she says Liverpool has become her "second home".

"It was a proud moment for me, my friends and my family," Laws told Liverpoolfc.com about hitting three figures.

"The amount of messages I got from people I had played with first time around when I was here back in 2013, which seems like a lifetime ago. We won the WSL then and they were amazing memories, and I've made more memories this time around.

"I've been here nearly five years now. It feels like home. It is my second home. I've bought a house here and I class these as my family. Amazing memories and to do it away to Arsenal in a quarter-final of the FA Cup – the biggest cup competition in women's football. To do it with this group is really special and it's one that will live long in my memory."