Which WSL players are at the CONCACAF W Gold Cup and when will they return? Absences of Emily Fox, Ashley Lawrence, Geyse and more explained as Arsenal, Chelsea & Man Utd take title race hits

An integral part of Canada's Gold Cup campaign so far, Kadeisha Buchanan is set to miss Chelsea's WSL clash with Leicester this weekend as she and her country face Costa Rica in the quarter-finals.

If the Olympic champions progress to the last four, the centre-back will remain away while Chelsea take on Manchester City in a huge Continental Cup semi-final and if Canada go one further and make the final, then she'll also be absent for the FA Cup quarter-final clash with Everton. She should, however, be back for the Blues' meeting with London rivals Arsenal, which takes place five days after the Gold Cup final.

Buchanan hasn't been as key a figure in Chelsea's defence this season but her absence still limits Emma Hayes' ability to rotate and change shape in what is a busy period for the English champions.

At the other end of the table, Brighton are embroiled in a relegation battle and will be without Jorelyn Carabali for arguably the biggest game of their season, a meeting with bottom side Bristol City. Win, and they will open up an eight-point gap between themselves and the drop zone. Lose, and Bristol will be just two points behind them with seven games to go.

Carabali will no doubt be nervously awaiting the outcome of that match while she focuses on a tasty quarter-final clash against the United States women's national team for Colombia. Win that and she'll likely miss Brighton's FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United, as it takes place just three days after the Gold Cup semi-finals. However, the defender will definitely be back for the Seagulls' meeting with Manchester City.

Sabrina D'Angelo's final fixture with Arsenal before jetting off to the United States for the Gold Cup brought about just her second WSL start of the season, as she helped the Gunners beat Man Utd 3-1 at the Emirates. However, while that could've been a catalyst for her to compete even more closely with Manuela Zinsberger to be the first-choice goalkeeper, she is now instead watching from afar as her club prepare for two of the biggest games of their season.

The shot-stopper, who started Canada's 6-0 thrashing of El Salvador in the group stages, will be part of the squad that faces Costa Rica in the Gold Cup quarter-finals this weekend, while Arsenal look to get revenge on north London rivals Tottenham after losing to them for the first time in December.

If Canada reach the last four, D'Angelo will also miss the Conti Cup semi-final with Aston Villa. However, the Gunners are out of the FA Cup, so there is no extra fixture for her to miss if she and her nation reach the Gold Cup final. Instead, she'll likely be available for selection for Arsenal again ahead of the meeting with Chelsea on March 15.

Arsenal have already had to cope without Emily Fox for one fixture due to the Gold Cup as the USWNT joined up before the Gunners' huge clash with Man Utd. Fortunately, they did indeed cope, beating the Red Devils to move within three points of WSL leaders Chelsea.

A key member of the north London side's back line since her January move, Fox will be absent for Arsenal's clash with rivals Spurs this weekend as the U.S. take on Colombia in the last eight. Like D'Angelo, if her country progress further, she will also miss the Conti Cup semi-final clash with Aston Villa but that will be it.

The only Man Utd player at the Gold Cup after full-back Jayde Riviere had to withdraw from Canada's squad, Geyse will miss the Red Devils' tricky trip to West Ham this weekend as Brazil take on Argentina in the last eight.

If the South American champions come through that and reach the semi-finals, the forward could also miss Man Utd's FA Cup quarter-final against Brighton, too, because of the short turnaround between the two games. If Brazil make the final, she will definitely miss that fixture.

The third and final Arsenal player on this list, Cloe Lacasse's final contribution before heading off on international duty was an outstanding performance, marked with a goal, in the 3-1 win over Man Utd. She took that momentum into the Gold Cup, too, breaking the deadlock in Canada's opening match against El Salvador before providing a hat-trick of assists in a 6-0 win.

Lacasse will miss Arsenal's clash with Spurs this weekend, as Canada face Costa Rica in the quarter-finals, and will be unavailable for the Conti Cup semi-final against Aston Villa if she and her country make the Gold Cup semi-finals. However, she should be back in time for a huge meeting with WSL leaders Chelsea on March 15, with the Gold Cup concluding on March 10.

Another of Canada's key players, Ashley Lawrence has been a regular for Chelsea since a summer switch from Paris Saint-Germain but she could be absent for some huge games over the next week or so.

One fixture she will definitely miss is the trip to Leicester on Sunday, with Canada facing Costa Rica in the quarter-finals of the Gold Cup. If they progress to the last four then Lawrence will also miss the Conti Cup semi-final with Man City and if the Olympic champions go even further and get to the Gold Cup final, then she will be absent for Chelsea's FA Cup quarter-final away at Everton.

If Canada lose in the semi-finals, Lawrence could be back for that trip to Merseyside, though it would be a tight turnaround, especially for a player who is expected to play a lot of minutes in this Gold Cup.

After struggling for game time at Man Utd, making just five substitute appearances last season, Adriana Leon has become an important member of Aston Villa's team following a summer switch. The forward has scored four goals and provided one assist in 10 WSL starts this season, which isn't bad at all for a club that has struggled for form. She's carried those goal-scoring ways into the Gold Cup as well, netting five times in Canada's opening two fixtures.

How Villa would love to have her available, then, not only for the league meeting with Liverpool this weekend but also the Conti Cup semi-final against Arsenal in midweek. However, Leon will miss the former, as Canada take on Costa Rica in the Gold Cup quarter-finals, and she'll miss the latter, too, if her country make it to the last four.

If Canada are knocked out by Costa Rica, it would be quite an ask for Leon to be back and ready to start for Villa in that cup game just four days later, given the time difference and long flight back to the Midlands, but there might be a chance that she could play a part.

Hampered by a hamstring injury before Christmas, Deanne Rose hasn't developed into a regular starter for Leicester just yet but there is no doubting her talent and the Foxes will be without that this weekend as they host Chelsea. If Canada beat Costa Rica in the Gold Cup quarter-finals, they could also be without Rose for their FA Cup quarter-final with Liverpool.

The draw is a huge opportunity for both clubs to make the semi-finals but it would come just three days after Canada's Gold Cup semi-final. If the Olympic champions make the final then Rose will absolutely not be back for Leicester but even if they don't, considering the distance to fly from the west coast of the U.S. back to England, as well as the time difference, it could still be tricky for her to be back and ready to play her part.

Since swapping north London for east London in January, joining West Ham on loan from Tottenham, Shelina Zadorsky has been playing regular minutes in the WSL again as she looks to help the Hammers keep their place in the division. It's certainly a blow for the club to have lost her to the Gold Cup, then, but the positive for them is that no player on this list is at risk of missing fewer matches than Zadorsky.

The defender will be absent this weekend as West Ham face Man Utd at home, as Canada have a quarter-final clash with Costa Rica on their hands. However, with the London club no longer in the Conti Cup or the FA Cup, their next game is not until March 17, with a trip to Merseyside to take on Liverpool coming a whole week after the Gold Cup will have concluded.