Women’s Asian Cup: Which Women’s Super League sides are most affected?

Twenty eight players spanning every club in the WSL will be at the Asian Cup, though they all play for either Australia (12) or Japan (16).

Any player whose nation reaches the final will miss matchdays 17 and 18 of the WSL season.

The final is also scheduled two days before the first leg of the last eight in the Women’s Champions League for Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.

Given the strength of both Australia and Japan, it is highly likely the players listed below will not be available for their clubs at a crucial stage in the season.

Some have proactively taken steps to counter this, with Manchester City moving in January for US star Sam Coffey to bolster their midfield in the absence of Yui Hasegawa.

“It’s definitely a tough one,” former Scotland and Arsenal defender Jen Beattie said on the Women’s Football Weekly podcast. “The travel is pretty insane and even when the players come back they will take a few days to re-calibrate.

“But it is part of football. Clubs that sign these players know they will be missed when called up so have plans in place.”

Australia: Steph Catley, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Caitlin Foord (Arsenal), Charlize Rule (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ellie Carpenter, Sam Kerr (Chelsea), Clare Wheeler (Everton), Emily van Egmond (Leicester), Alanna Kennedy (London City Lionesses), Mary Fowler (Manchester City), Clare Hunt (Tottenham Hotspur), Katrina Gorry (West Ham).

Japan: Maya Hijikata (Aston Villa), Moeka Minami, Kiko Seike (Brighton & Hove Albion), Honoka Hayashi, Rion Ishikawa, Hikaru Kitagawa (Everton), Fuka Nagano, Risa Shimizu (Liverpool), Saki Kumagai (London City Lionesses), Aoba Fujino, Yui Hasegawa, Ayaka Yamashita (Manchester City), Hinata Miyazawa (Manchester United), Maika Hamano, Toko Koga (Tottenham Hotspur), Riko Ueki (West Ham).