Super Falcons-eligible midfielder left out of Chelsea's squad to face Barcelona despite training with first team

Super Falcons-eligible midfielder Ashanti Akpan will not be making her UEFA Women's Champions League debut on Saturday afternoon when Chelsea take on Barcelona in a semi-final first leg clash at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, allnigeriasoccer.com reports.

The England U19 international, born to a Polish mother and Nigerian father, was involved in Chelsea's final training session at Cobham Training Center on Friday, but was not named in the traveling squad to Spain.

Chelsea Women boss Emma Hayes has taken twenty players to Barcelona consisting of three goalkeepers, six defenders, six midfielders and five forwards. 

For the midfield positions, Hayes has named Sophie Ingle, Sjoeke Nusken, Melanie Leupolz, Guro Reiten, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Erin Cuthbert in the provisional matchday squad, leaving out academy product Akpan.

Akpan has not received a call-up for a Champions League match since November 23, 2022 when she was a non-playing substitute during a group game against Real Madrid.

She joined Chelsea in 2013 when she was seven, rising through the youth team ranks to make her senior debut in a 3-1 victory over Reading at the quarterfinal stage of the Women’s FA Cup on March 19,2023.

Last December, Akpan signed her first professional contract with Chelsea, keeping her at the London club until at least the summer of 2025, with the option to extend by a further year.

The Warsaw-born player became provisionally cap-tied to England in October 2023, after coming off the bench at halftime in a  2024 UEFA European Women's U19 Championship qualifier against Greece. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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