Emma Hayes to take time away from Chelsea following emergency surgery
Chelsea Women’s manager Emma Hayes is to take time away from the touchline to recover from an emergency hysterectomy.
In a statement she said she underwent the procedure last week following an ongoing battle with endometriosis.
Denise Reddy and Paul Green will take charge of the defending WSL Champions while Hayes focuses on her recovery.
In a statement Hayes said: "Last Tuesday I underwent an emergency hysterectomy following my ongoing battle with endometriosis. I’m now in recovery and will need time and patience to return to full health.
"I just want to say thank you also to my amazing doctors, Dr Alex Laurence and Dr Sally Harris for their outstanding care. A huge thank you to our owners, the board and our HR director, Jo Stone, for the support they’ve shown and of course all of my family, staff and players.
"Throughout my absence, Denise Reddy will be making the on-field decisions along with Paul Green who will be carrying out all press obligations on my behalf."
She added: "To our fans, you’ve had to listen to me bellowing from the other side of the pitch every week but now I want to hear you even louder because I’ll be sitting at home watching the team on the television until my return.
"I know you’ll respect that my health comes first and at this time I’ve got to prioritise what I need to do for me. I fully expect to make a full recovery and I look forward to seeing you in the foreseeable future."
The club said: "Everybody at Chelsea FC would like to wish Emma a speedy recovery and we will continue to offer her our full support during this time."