The midfielder came on as a second-half substitute against Arsenal last weekend and is ready to play her part as we face a key trip to league leaders Manchester City on Sunday.

Now ready to go back into battle, Walsh is thankful for the support she has had in getting back to full fitness.

‘It's frustrating and not ideal to get injured in a big part of the season,’ said Walsh when we sat down with her at Cobham this week. ‘Although luckily it was around the Christmas break, so I haven't missed that much football.

‘I feel good now. It takes a few sessions with the team to get back into it but I’m in a good place. I've had great support from the physios and sports scientist to return to the pitch and I'm confident in how I'm feeling and the work that we've done in rehab.

‘I had great people around me. There were a few girls in there at the same time as me and we just tried to keep it really positive and a good vibe and we encouraged each other. It was important for me to have a good support network around me while I was I was doing the exercises and the rehab work.

'When you're on your own, it's a lot worse. Obviously you don't want any of your team-mates to be injured, but if that is the case, then you can support each other through it.’

Walsh describes how the squad were understandably deflated after suffering a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Arsenal last weekend. However, as experienced professionals, the team have dusted themselves down and are ready to keep fighting until the last possible moment.

With six wins out of seven games against Manchester City since the beginning of last season, this Sunday gives the side an opportunity to show our resilience and close the nine-point gap at the top of the WSL.

She said: ‘Immediately afterwards we were disappointed and of course the first reaction was a little bit negative because looking at the league, we’re not where we want to be. It wasn't ideal, but ultimately, it's still a long season, there’s still a lot of games to go and we can put it right by winning the game on Sunday.

‘It’s a massive game against Man City and I think that the best thing that we can do is go into that feeling confident and positive. We want to put the things right we didn't do well in the game against Arsenal, and just really be on the front foot and take the game to them.

‘We need to be more confident in ourselves and focus on what we can bring to the game. It's through confidence and having the belief in ourselves that we are good footballers and we're a great team. We need to focus on making those opportunities, being creative and trying to generate moments for each other.’

Chelsea have won the last six consecutive Women’s Super League titles and went unbeaten in domestic competition last season under head coach Sonia Bompastor.

Walsh feels that feat is becoming more difficult as the growth of women’s football in this country has seen the level of opposition become increasingly stronger. To continue to dominate, the midfielder understands the Blues need to keep evolving at the same time.

‘The league has progressed so much, and I think that gets forgotten sometimes,’ she continued. ‘It's not as easy as going to the teams at the low end of the table and winning five or six because they've also got great players.

‘They've really improved and that's where we need to find new ways to be innovative. To win games we need to try to come up with new ideas so that we can keep being on top.’

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