After a busy international break for our Addicks, the WSL returns to The Valley on Sunday with the visit of Manchester United (kick off 2pm)

The Red Devils stuttered into the season and didn't win any of their first three WSL games. However, they have since hit a rich vein of form with a 10-1 hammering of Sheffield United in the Players Cup kicking off a run of four straight wins, including at home against West Ham (2-1) and Liverpool (1-0) which have lifted them to seventh place.

In the WSL they haven't been creating much. The goal against Liverpool came from distance and they created half of their season’s xG in one game. Charlton’s defence has been relatively porous this season but the performance against Manchester City showed that there is capacity for solidity although that solidity will have to come without Hawa Cissoko and Grace Johnstone who are both injured. Captain Kiera Skeels told CAST that her recovery was progressing well a couple of weeks ago but it is unclear whether she will be available for selection or not.

Two weeks on the training pitches should have done Charlton the world of good. The spirits in the camp seem high and with most of the defence still at Sparrows Lane there will have been plenty of time to drill that defensive shape into the squad.

Lorena Azzaro, Jodie Hutton and Cassandra Korhonen looked lively in the first half against Brighton and there were some encouraging patterns of play and periods of possession. The next challenge is to prolong those positive periods but it is starting to feel like a positive result is around the corner. Why can’t it come on Sunday?

Karen Hills told CAST that "the tide will turn" and that the players really value the support from the crowd, commenting that “They are really with us in uncomfortable moments”. Why not get down to The Valley and be one of the twelfth women on Sunday?

Photo by Rhea Spencer-Newell