Chelsea’s Women’s Super League match against Manchester United has been postponed at a week’s notice due to its proximity with the club’s opening Champions League match, it was announced on Sunday.
The WSL fixture was due to take place on Oct. 6, but UEFA’s announcement of the Champions League fixtures on Saturday included Chelsea playing against Real Madrid at Kingsmeadow on Oct. 8.
In a statement, the WSL confirmed the postponement, citing player welfare concerns with the matches due to be played just two days apart.
“We apologise for any inconvenience to fans. In this instance, we have to put player welfare first and we will announce a new date for the fixture in due course,” the league said.
“We thank the clubs and Sky Sports for their understanding as we work on a resolution.”
Both Chelsea — the defending WSL champions — and Manchester United have won both of their opening two league games of their respective campaigns.
“It’s not ideal, however, in the best interests of the players for both Chelsea and Manchester United, it’s probably the right decision if it benefits their safety,” United manager Marc Skinner told a post-match news conference after his side’s 1-0 win over Everton on Sunday.
“It’s frustrating we don’t have a game at the weekend but we can work around that.”
Chelsea were knocked out of the Champions League at the semifinal stage by eventual winners Barcelona last season.
Barça beat Sonia Bompastor’s Lyon 2-0 in the final, before she took over from Emma Hayes as Chelsea manager in the summer.