LFC WomenMatt Beard on Niamh Fahey and Mia Enderby injuries, close-season review and pre-Arsenal plans

The centre-back picked up the issue during the Reds’ pre-season friendly against Manchester United Women last week and is now set to miss the start of the Barclays Women’s Super League campaign.

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However, Mia Enderby, who sustained a shoulder issue in the same game, is scheduled to resume training ahead of the visit to Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal Women on Sunday October 1.

Manager Matt Beard told Liverpoolfc.com: “Fahey, six to eight weeks [out], a grade two tear of the calf. Mia will be back in training next week.”

Beard was speaking after his team had completed their programme of pre-season friendlies by beating Leicester City Women 3-1 at Belvoir Drive on Sunday afternoon.

Reflecting on that victory, earned by goals from Ceri Holland, Natasha Flint and Missy Bo Kearns, and Liverpool’s pre-season overall, he said: “Really pleased, especially [in] the first hour I thought we were dominant.

“We were good with the ball, we were good without the ball. Still, we could have converted a lot more today [but] the main thing is that we’re seeing the pictures and we’re creating the chances and I’m confident that with the players we’ve got in this team that we will convert them as we go.

“But I think we’ve had such a challenging pre-season, look at the teams we have played – PSG, Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United – all teams that are playing Champions League football and I even felt that in the Man United game we dominated large parts of it and it was a similar story about converting chances.

“But it’s a good way to end and it was a real dominant performance, that was the pleasing thing.”

An international break now precedes the Reds’ season-opening trip to Arsenal and Beard added: “Obviously we have got a lot of players away so really this international break is about keeping everyone topped up fitness-wise and working with some individuals on bits that we feel we need to get them ready for.”

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