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The England forward Fran Kirby has revealed details of the debilitating medical condition that has sidelined her for much of the season and left her sleeping for 15 hours a day and unable to “even get up to make food”.
The 26-year-old has been mysteriously absent from the Chelsea match-day squad for three months with a virus, which is now said to have caused pericarditis – inflammation of the fibrous sac that surrounds the heart, known as the pericardium.
Kirby struggled to have any energy with symptoms typical of the illness being a sudden onset of sharp chest pain, fever, weakness, shortness of breath and nausea.
Speaking to the Chelsea website, Kirby said: “I am feeling 100 times better compared to when this started. I was struggling with understanding how it happened and why it happened as I was feeling good with no injuries and enjoying training with the team, so it was frustrating at the time.”
The England international is yet to return to training but is back in the fold at Cobham. “When I became ill the frustration went away as I didn’t even have the energy to be frustrated. I had no emotion as I was too tired.
“It took over my life in a negative way. I couldn’t even get up to make food,” she said.
“Now that I am feeling more like a human being I can smile again and be in a room with people again. Before, when people were having conversations with me, I couldn’t acknowledge them. I was just sitting there thinking: ‘I am so ill, I am so ill,’ it was just constantly on my mind.”
The focus now is about being patient. “Now I am coming to the other end of it I am back around the girls more. I have the energy to come in or go to the pool when they are doing recovery.
“I want to be back on the pitch more than anyone. I also know it will take time and I am not going to heal overnight and it is a day-by-day process.”
The Chelsea manager, Emma Hayes, who has been fiercely protective of her forward when questioned about the player’s health, said: “Fran is a massively important part of our squad and she knows that. But while winning football matches is important it is not more important than her health.
“Our job, when she is ready, is to make sure she comes back at an even higher level than before.”
Chelsea advance in FA Cup thanks to Guro Reitan
Chelsea will play Everton in the FA Cup quarter-finals after a goal from Guro Reiten took them past Liverpool at Kingsmeadow. Chelsea missed out on a place in the final to the eventual winners, Manchester City, at the semi-final stage last season, having completed a league and FA Cup double the preceding year. And again they are into the latter stages of the competition, with Reiten’s first-half strike enough to secure a narrow 1-0 victory.
Their last-eight opponents, Everton, who have performed impressively in the Women’s Super League, put five past their fellow WSL side Bristol City to ensure their passage. Lucy Graham scored twice for Willie Kirk’s team, with the Dutch forward Inessa Kaagman, Hannah Cain and Manchester City loanee Esme Morgan all on the scoresheet.
Their quarter-final tie will be played at the club’s new Walton Hall Park home, having finally made the move from their temporary home at Southport.
A north London derby is on the cards after Tottenham were handed a tie against the winner of Arsenal’s game against the Championship side Lewes, which was postponed due to Storm Dennis on Sunday.
Spurs beat Coventry United 5-0 thanks to a Rianna Dean hat-trick and goals from Lucia Marte Leon and the Dutch defender Siri Worm.
Manchester City will play either the Championship side Leicester or Reading, after their game was also postponed due to the storm. Meanwhile the WSL strugglers Birmingham will take on the winner of Crystal Palace v Brighton.
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