When Can Naomi Girma Debut for Chelsea? Recent Setback Leaves Community Awaited to Watch USWNT Star in Action

Naomi Girma began a new chapter last week after making her much-anticipated move to Chelsea. The USWNT superstar finally left her home nation’s domestic side, San Diego Wave, in a historic million-dollar transfer. Having broken both the bank as well a record to bring in the defender, it’s natural for fans and the club to expect her to showcase why she was signed. But an unfortunate setback has delayed her debut. So, the burning question is: when can we expect to see Girma in her new shirt?

To address the setback for the out-of-loop fans, Girma arrived in London with an injury. The 24-year-old sustained a minor blow in her calf during the current NWSL off-season. On top of that, she got busy with her negotiations with Chelsea, giving the center-back less time to recuperate and leaving her injury unaddressed.

In fact, following the Blues’ narrow win over Arsenal, Sonia Bompastor also gave an update on Girma’s debut. The head coach admitted that fans may have to wait a bit longer in order to see the star signing in action. So far, the American international has missed just a single game for the WSL giants against Aston Villa. However, given that there still has been no update regarding the defender, one wonders when exactly she’ll be back.

This month, Chelsea has three matches. Their next game is a midweek clash against West Ham United on Wednesday, followed by an FA Cup fixture against Everton over the weekend. They will face the Toffees again on February 16 for a WSL clash this time. Now given that there has been no update on Girma so far, we believe she will at least miss out on the upcoming West Ham clash.

If an update is provided around that time, she may be available for the FA Cup game. However, Bompastor will likely aim to give the US international her first minutes in the WSL. Expect Girma to fully feature in the return league clash against Everton. If she still misses both matches, fans will have to keep their fingers crossed for a return in March.

Ironically, Chelsea signing Girma is beyond their aim of bolstering the team’s defensive options. The 7X WSL winners also have their key center back Kadeisha Buchanan sidelined. She suffered a season-ending ACL injury last November and Naomi was signed to cover for her. However, if such delays keep happening then the problem may go worse than ever!

Naomi Girma may also miss out on USWNT’s crucial meet-up!

Naomi Girma’s domestic career isn’t the only thing currently at a halt. An unfortunate calf injury during the off-season also forced her to miss the U.S. women’s national team’s January training camp. The camp, held in Fort Lauderdale from January 17 to 23, wasn’t a major concern for the 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalist. That’s because it primarily serves as an annual gathering without any key friendlies or tournaments.

However, the 4X World Cup champions will kick off their competitive year this month in the SheBelieves Cup, starting on February 20. They will face Colombia, Australia, and Japan in the group stage. Initially, it seemed there would be enough time for Girma to recover and return to international duty. Yet, with her domestic return still pending, doubts remain over whether she will be fit in time for the tournament.

Whatever the case may be, fans shall keep their fingers crossed over the ASAP return of Naomi Girma.