Women's soccer depth chart for Europe's elite: Who is key?

January 18, 2024 ndowd

Jan 17, 2024, 04:00 AM ET

With the winter break coming to an end and the UEFA Women’s Champions League returning on Jan. 24, it’s a good time to assess the strength of the top clubs across Europe.

The transfer window is open until the end of the month, so things could change, but here’s look at where the players stand in their respective squads with a depth chart of the best options for a first XI and backup XI.

Of course, it’s hard to predict who could be called upon as the fixtures pile up, but the below should give you an idea of how strong each team is.

(Note: Each player appears in the main squad list once, even if she could fit into multiple spots. We have also included injured players, though those likely to be out for the season are noted separately.)

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ARSENAL

Goalkeeper: Manuela Zinsberger, Sabrina D’Angelo, Kaylan Marckese
Right-back: Katie McCabe, Emily Fox, Laura Wienroither
Left-back: Steph Catley
Centre-back: Lotte Wubben-Moy, Jennifer Beattie, Leah Williamson, Laia Codina, Amanda Ilestedt, Teyah Goldie
Defensive midfielder: Lia Wälti
Central midfielder: Kim Little, Frida Maanum, Victoria Pelova, Kyra Cooney-Cross
Forward: Beth Mead, Caitlin Foord, Alessia Russo, Lina Hurtig, Vivienne Lia
Striker: Vivianne Miedema, Cloe Lacasse, Stina Blackstenius

FIRST XI (4-2-3-1)

Zinsberger
McCabe – Wubben-Moy – Ilestedt – Catley
Walti – Pelova
Mead – Maanum – Foord
Russo

SECOND XI (3-2-3-2)

D’Angelo
Fox – Codina – Beattie
Cooney-Cross – Little
Lacasse – Miedema – Hurtig
Blackstenius – Lia

EXTRAS: Marckese
LONG-TERM INJURY: Wienroither, Williamson, Goldie

Arsenal have undergone a rapid change since Jonas Eidevall came in as coach ahead of the 2021-22 season. Gone is the possession-heavy passing style; in has come a more fluid, aggressive and transitional game with the players to match.

However, player turnover has left Eidevall uncertain of his best starting XI. Still struggling with ACL injuries at both ends of the pitch, Arsenal’s bedrock is their depth in midfield. This allows for any combination of Walti, Pelova, Maanum, Little and Cooney-Cross to be on the pitch at a given time and it not change how the Gunners approach the game.

AJAX

Goalkeeper: Dionne van der Wal, Regina van Eijk, Lois Nienhuis
Right-back: Roos van der Veen
Left-back: Ashleigh Weerden
Centre-back: Kay-Lee de Sanders, Isa Kardinaal, Milicia Keijzer, Daliyah de Klonia, Soraya Verhoeve
Defensive midfielder: Sherida Spitse
Central midfielder: Nadine Noordam, Quinty Sabajo, Rosa van Gool, Iris Stiekema, Danique Noordman, Lily Yohannes, Jonna van de Velde
Forward: Chasity Grant, Bente Jansen, Lotte Keukelaar, Danique Tolhoek
Striker: Tiny Hoekstra, Romée Leuchter, Soraya Verhoeve, Isabelle Hoekstra, Nikita Tromp

FIRST XI (4-3-3)

Van Eijk
Noordam – De Sanders – Spitse – Weerden
Noordman – Van Gool – Yohannes
Grant – Leuchter – T. Hoekstra

SECOND XI (4-3-3)

Niënhuis
Keijzer – De Klonia – Kardinaal – Verhoeve
Keukelaar – Van de Velde – Sabajo
Tolhoek – Jansen – I. Hoekstra

EXTRAS: Van der Wal, Van der Veen, Van der Linden, Stiekema, Tromp

LONG-TERM INJURY: N/A

Ajax have enjoyed great success in this season’s Champions League group stage — despite being 10 points behind leaders FC Twente in the Eredivisie — but are perhaps the team that are most difficult to work out. In place of traditional full-backs, coach Suzanne Bakker opts to drop her wingers into more defensive roles and overloads her team with attacking players to maximise their strength on the counter.

One of the youngest teams in the competition this season, the bulk of experience comes from Netherlands veteran Spitse who has had to adapt to life in the back line for club and country, despite being a midfielder by trade.

Not the most free-scoring of teams, Ajax look to Leuchter for their goals and could easily find themselves short-handed up front should the 23-year-old swap the Eredivisie for another club.

BARCELONA

Goalkeeper: Sandra Paños, Cata Coll, Gemma Font
Right-back: Lucy Bronze, Jana Fernández
Left-back: Ona Batlle, Martina Fernández, Judit Pujols
Centre-back: Irene Paredes, Mapi León, Marta Torrejón
Defensive midfielder: Ingrid Syrstad Engen, Keira Walsh
Central midfielder: Patri Guijarro, Aitana Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas, Giulia Dragoni
Forward: Esmee Brugts, Caroline Graham Hansen, Fridolina Rolfö, Clàudia Pina, Mariona Caldentey, Salma Paralluelo, Vicky López, Ariana Arias, Lucía Corrales
Striker: Asisat Oshoala, Bruna Vilamala

FIRST XI (4-3-3)

Panos
Bronze – Paredes – Torrejón – Batlle
Bonmatí – Walsh – Patri
Graham Hansen – Mariona – Pina

SECOND XI (3-4-3)

Coll
Fernández – Engen – Pujols
Rolfö – Brugts – Putellas – Paralluelo
Lopez – Oshoala – Bruna

EXTRAS: Font, Dragoni, Arias, Corrales
LONG-TERM INJURY: Leon

A squad with incredible depth in midfield and attack, this season Barcelona have had to muddle through a glut of injuries to their defence, leaving them more vulnerable than usual. But leaning heavily into the attacking style that has become synonymous is the best way for the Catalans to ease their defensive woes. And the possession-heavy passing style requires a world-class midfield.

Although Putellas is yet to return to her pre-ACL injury form, the midfielder has been trialled in the “false No. 9” role to maximise Barcelona’s fondness for keeping as many midfielders on the pitch as possible. The spine of the team is still the midfield trio of Ballon d’Or winner Bonmatí, Walsh and Guijarro, and acts as a stabiliser to keep the frontline fed, regardless of who is occupying the forward roles.

Across the attack, outgoing coach Jonatan Giráldez has plenty of options from Barcelona favourites Mariona and Pina, to savvy signings Paralluelo and Brugts, as well as younger emerging talents like Lopez, Dragoni and Arias.