Chelsea manager Emma Hayes is taking a break from football to recover from an emergency operation.

The club announced on Thursday afternoon that Hayes had undergone a hysterectomy, and now needed “time and patience” to return to full health.

Denise Reddy and Paul Green will take over in the dugout at Everton on Sunday when the Women’s Super League resumes after an international break, and will continue in charge until the gaffer is well enough to return.

In a message to fans, Hayes said: “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!”

Chelsea are laying on coaches to take away fans to matches… although it does mean early starts. In a bid to sidestep rail strikes and ease the soaring price of petrol, the club is arranging coach travel at 6am from the Kingsmeadow ground this Sunday for supporters travelling to the Everton match. It will be a long day. The coaches won’t be back until nearly 9pm.

The following Sunday’s early evening fixture at Brighton’s Broadfield stadium will also be served by club coaches.

Meanwhile, European action returns to Kingsmeadow, with a special buzz at the ground under the floodlights.

KFF Vllaznia are the visitors on Wednesday 26 October. They may not be the best-known women’s team in Europe, but they are the reigning Albanian champions – presenting fans with an intriguing logistical challenge for the away leg of the Women’s Champions League in the city of Shkoder a week before Christmas. Tickets for all Chelsea Women’s games start at as little as a quid.

It’s been a difficult week for the Blues’ mighty midfield atom Erin Cuthbert – player of the match in Chelsea’s last outing, the convincing victory against West Ham. Scotland failed to qualify for the Women’s World Cup after being beaten by the Republic of Ireland at Hampden Park.

The 24-year-old, who already has 55 caps for her country, was in tears at the end of the match, in which the home side had three-quarters of the possession, but will not now travel to next summer’s finals in Australia and New Zealand.

It’s a dent in the aim of continuing to grow the domestic game. While 11,000 fans turned up to watch the match in Glasgow, organisers had hoped for 20,000.

On the plus side, Cuthbert will now be exclusively focused on her Chelsea matches, and hopes to start at Walton Hall Park against Everton.