Bjorn, Girma and Malard return for Chelsea vs Birmingham

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has confirmed that Nathalie Bjorn, Naomi Girma and Melvine Malard are all available for selection ahead of Sunday's WSL fixture against Birmingham City at Stamford Bridge, kick-off 12.45pm.

Bjorn was named on the bench during Chelsea's 5-0 win over Manchester United last weekend but did not come on, while Girma and Malard were absent from the squad entirely.

"Nay is back in the group and will be with the group tomorrow for the game," Bompastor said. "Nat Bjorn is back, and Melvine Malard is also back in the squad."

The Chelsea head coach highlighted the timing of the returns, with the club facing a congested run of fixtures. "It's really important to have as many players available as possible because I think if you want to maintain the intensity, you need to be able to rotate and have some fresh legs coming into every game," she added, noting three games in a week and six in the next two weeks.

Bompastor also addressed the absence of Mayra Ramirez, who has missed recent matches for personal reasons. "Mayra is back in Colombia for personal reasons. The club is supporting her in the best way possible and we are hoping to see her back with the squad and with the team soon," the manager said.

Birmingham City, Chelsea's opponents on Sunday, are a newly-promoted side making their return to the top flight.