Leicester Women make their debut in the Women's Super League on Saturday, when Jonathan Morgan's side travel to the Banks' stadium to face Aston Villa Women.

Villa are looking to rebuild with Carla Ward at the helm this season after losing managers Gemma Davies and Marcus Bignot, along with sporting director Eni Aluko, at the end of the last campaign.

Match preview

Ward joins Aston Villa from rivals Birmingham City, where she helped the Blues survive relegation despite starting the year with a two-point deduction and only eight senior players signed on.

Villa's pre-season consisted of three friendly fixtures against Chelsea, Manchester United and Everton, which all ended in defeat for the Claret and Blues.

The new manager has received more backing at Villa than she received last season at Birmingham, with the Aston Villa board ensuring many signings come through the door this summer.

After recording their third win of the season last year, which came at the beginning of February, Villa lost their next five games and after that, ended the WSL season with five successive draws.

The five points which the team picked up at the end of the campaign was enough to see them finish 10th, in their first season at the highest level in England since 2004, and three points above Bristol City, who were relegated from the top flight.

Leicester City Women were affiliated with the men's side last summer and they rewarded the club for making them a professional outfit with promotion to the WSL.

The Foxes comfortably won the Championship last year, ending the season by recording 16 wins, two draws and two defeats, sealing the league title eight points clear of Durham.

The club have taken big strides to help the women's team succeed this season, as Morgan currently works out of Claudio Ranieri's old office after the side were handed the keys to the Belvoir Drive training ground.

Emile Heskey was brought in as an ambassador for the team and Leicester Women will play the majority of their home fixtures at the King Power Stadium.

Leicester's aim for this season is likely to be survival, and playing against a team which was battling to stay in the division last season presents a good opportunity for the WSL newcomers to get off the mark early on in the season.

Team News

Aston Villa lost Japan international Mana Iwabuchi to Arsenal this summer but Ward has reinforced her squad with the signings of Sarah Mayling, Hannah Hampton, Maz Pacheco, Alisha Lehmann, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, Meaghan Sargeant, Remi Allen and Ruesha Littlejohn.

Former Tottenham Hotspur winger Gemma Davison has been training with the Villa team this summer, but the manager can not confirm whether they will sign her permanently yet, but has said that she hopes the club can secure Davison's services.

Hampton, Mayling, Sargeant, Pacheco, Allen, Lehmann, Boye-Hlorkah, Anita Asante and Freya Gregory all started the last two pre-season friendlies and it is likely Ward will pick a similar lineup on Saturday.

Leicester have added WSL experience to their squad with the signings of Jessica Sigsworth, Abbie McManus, Jemma Purfield, Georgia Brougham, Abbi Grant, Connie Scofield and Molly Pike.

Natasha Flint scored 21 goals in 26 appearances for the Foxes during their promotion-winning campaign, and she will be looking to carry on those stats in the WSL this year.

Aston Villa Women possible starting lineup:
Hampton; Mayling, Sargeant, Asante; McLoughlin, Pacheco, Allen, Petzelberger; Lehmann, Boye-Hlorkah, Gregory

Leicester Women possible starting lineup:
Levell; Purfield, McManus, Brougham, Tierney; Pike, Fleming, Scofield; Grant, Sigsworth, Flint

We say: Aston Villa Women 1-1 Leicester Women

Both sides will have been looking forward to the opening day of the new season, in particular Leicester as they aim to impress in their first season in the top flight.

With Villa and the Foxes hoping to avoid relegation this season, every point is crucial and both Ward and Morgan are likely to have targeted this game as an opportunity to get off the mark.

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