'Every day' - Lionesses star Alex Greenwood explains conversations with England team-mates Keira Walsh and Ellie Roebuck ahead of Man City's Champions League clash with Barcelona

Greenwood's Man City will host Barca, the European champions, on Wednesday night as the group stage of this season's Women's Champions League gets underway. It's a fixture that will see two familiar faces return to Manchester, in Walsh and Roebuck. The pair broke into the senior game with City and helped the club win its only Women's Super League title to date before departing for Catalunya.

Walsh left the club in the summer of 2022 but has seen Greenwood plenty in the two years since, as the pair are regulars under Sarina Wiegman with England. Roebuck, meanwhile, only made the switch earlier this summer.

Speaking ahead of Barcelona's visit, Greenwood was asked if she had spoken to either of her former club-mates ahead of the clash. "Yeah, but absolutely nothing about football actually," she said with a laugh. "I speak to Ellie every day. She's one of my best friends anyway, so I obviously speak to her about how she is in general. Keira, the same. Honestly, if you go back through our chat history, I think absolutely nothing is about football."

Roebuck has yet to make her Barca debut as she continues her rehabilitation process, having suffered a type of stroke during her final season at Man City, but she is in the squad for this week's game. Walsh, on the other hand, is expected to play a significant role in this fixture and Greenwood is fully aware of the quality she could bring to the table for City's opponent.

"I could speak about Keira all day," the defender said. "I think she's an incredible footballer. I've been lucky enough to play with her here at City, I get to play with her for England. What she does off the ball, on the ball, she's so intelligent as a player and I think she's improved since she's moved. I think off the ball, definitely, and she's now added goals and assists - hopefully not tomorrow - to her game. She's a top player and I have so much respect for her."

After Wednesday's clash, Man City's second UWCL group stage fixture will see them travel to Austria to face St. Polten. Barca, meanwhile, will have their first home game of the competition when they welcome Swedish side Hammarby to Catalunya.