“Feel[s] like we’re entering the next phase now,” remarked Emma Hayes during the July window. To be precise, the “next phase” here refers to the next crucial thing that USWNT will be gearing up for: the 2027 World Cup. And believe it or not, even if less than two years remain until the prestigious tournament, the preparations have already begun. And in this already-begun process, there is a very important boost for Emma Hayes and Co.: Naomi Girma is back to Chelsea training.

The talented defender, who joined the English club earlier this year in January in a whopping $1.1 million deal, has endured a string of setbacks in her playing time. The majority of the reasons have been minor injuries that the 24-year-old has sustained. This time, it’s a calf injury, seeing her earn not more than 5 WSL appearances and a couple of UEFA Women’s Champions League appearances, which were all for last season.

So the last time she played was back in the 3-0 win over Manchester United ladies in the FA Cup final. This only means she is yet to play a game for the Blues this season, let alone take part in the training camp, until now. Earlier today, Naomi Girma was spotted training at Cobham Training Ground. The former San Diego Wave star was seen training alongside the entire squad, which prepares for their UWCL Group Stage clash against Paris FC.

In fact, Girma isn’t alone, with Lionesses forward Lauren James also joining her fellow teammates after a long time due to her own injury. Coincidentally, head coach Sonia Bompastor had already predicted that both players, as well as Lucy Bronze, were expected to make a return this month. “Lucy, LJ, and Naomi are all progressing well,” remarked the Dutch tactician before the Leicester City clash.

“Probably, we’ll see them later or earlier in October. They are all progressing individually in their own way,” added Bompastor. Even though these names have managed to make a return in training, it’s unlikely that they will be gearing up for tomorrow’s European clash. That would mean that they will be making their returns only after the impending international break, where the return will see Chelsea face London City for their seventh WSL clash of the 2025-26 season.

Then again, the talking point remains the return of Naomi Girma. Being doubtful about the upcoming doubleheader against Portugal (Oct. 23 and 26) and another against New Zealand (Oct. 29), it’s natural to see why she won’t be getting her chance in these fixtures, even though this window holds quite the significance for Hayes.

Naomi Girma needs rest, but needs to hurry up!

The World Cup is in 2027. This sounds nice until you look at this very sentence in a different manner: Less than two years remain until the prestigious tournament. Sure, there is still a lot of time in the hands of the American ladies in order to make their preparations. However, there has to be a little bit of realization that not much time is left at the same time.

In the case of Naomi Girma, she certainly doesn’t need to worry about her place in the World Cup squad. A remarkable performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics was enough to convince Emma Hayes, even prompting the English tactician to go as far as to label the Chelsea star as “one of the best defenders.”

That also means the former WSL manager holds high expectations for her. Now, even though Emma earlier remarked that starting from this October window, all her squads would be shaped with the World Cup in mind, it should come as no surprise that Girma will be missing this one.

After all, for a player who is still finding her footing in the domestic setup, it’s only natural to make such a call. On top of that, the USWNT defender needs sufficient rest to fully recover. Yet, at the same time, she’ll need to hurry, considering how this and the upcoming camps revolve around the World Cup.

Her presence will certainly help Emma Hayes build much-needed synergy between Girma and her fellow teammates — a crucial exercise in preparation for the tournament. Regardless, only time will tell how soon we can consistently see Girma feature in the team.