The boss went on to provide the latest on how his side is shaping up for the game, after naming a 19-player travelling squad earlier today.
Simi Awujo and Ella Toone were both included after suffering a bump to the head and a scrape down the Achillies respectively in Saturday’s derby, but recent absentees Phallon Tullis-Joyce and Celin Bizet Donnum have stayed back in Manchester.
Skinner confirmed during the press conference that Tullis-Joyce has suffered a small fracture to her eye socket, and that he hopes to see Bizet Donnum return from a back issue soon.
“[For Phallon] there is a small fracture [to her eye socket] but what I would say is Phallon has got a meeting with the doctors and we’ll see from there.
“We trust the quality of our players, our goalkeepers coming in. Phal is a massive part of this team, of course she is, but the deputies are there to step in and stand up and be counted, that’s why they’re at Manchester United. What we’re expecting is, once we find the severity of it, it will hopefully be [that] we’re looking at a potential return after the international window. It could be as soon as that, I don’t believe it will be much longer than that. Hopefully we get some good news, and she can return to the pitch ASAP.
“Celin’s still not available, we’re still assessing her, still got the back issue. Hopefully we’ll have her back soon. She’s probably a few weeks away, I would imagine.
“Simi is back to normal head size now, it’s shrunk again so she’s back. Ella’s was just a bit sharp at the time. It’s the same squad really that’s available [as at the weekend], everyone is fine, fit and ready.”
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