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Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor has said it is important to have three English teams in the UEFA Women's Champions League, adding that it will be a "big achievement" if his side makes it to the group stage. City strode to an emphatic 5-0 victory over Paris FC in the first leg of the second round of qualifiers, making the home leg on Thursday at Joie Stadium an easier task. However, Taylor said he believes that Paris FC have "nothing to lose" and hopes City can defend their aggregate score. "We're really focusing on what we do tomorrow and making sure that we get the mentality by going into game and the focus really right," he told a news conference. Arsenal also play their second-leg qualifier at the same time at Meadow Park. The north London side must overturn a 1-0 deficit against BK Hacken to join Chelsea in the group stage. "I think it is super important for the coefficient [to have three English teams in the group stage]. I've looked at the Champions League over the last couple of seasons, and I've always been really frustrated by not being there, seeing the other team that was good enough to be there but also made everyone really aware, not that I needed to, that is so so difficult to qualify. It really is. "I mean we've put ourselves in a good position, the job is still not done but that Paris team that we're playing, they've got pedigree in this competition of knocking the big teams out so it be a top achievement for us if we were to do it. "And it just sets us up for the season really, really well and that's where every team and every player really wants to be is in the champion league and every coach." Taylor added that he is solely focused on City's game and won't be watching Arsenal's fixture, however he admitted he will be checking the results after the final whistle. City earned a 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday to mark the start of their Women's Super League (WSL) campaign. Vivianne Miedema returned to the club she spent the past seven years with for the first time, scoring City's first goal. The manager said it had been a tough week for the Dutch striker ahead of the fixture but revealed she is doing well following the intense game. "She's handling things really well and I think sometimes we probably don't know the extent of what is going on inside and they're never easy games," Taylor said. "They're never easy when you go back to your club, especially at a club where you've done really well and like I said previously, she would've been pleased to put that to one side now, but she started the season really well for us. "We have to still be mindful that she's still on her way back from a long-term injury, so we need to manage her minutes in the right way in that sense, and we pushed through as much as we possibly could at the weekend." Despite keeping Miedema on for as long as possible on Sunday, Taylor ensured that the Dutch international, along with the rest of his squad, is available for Thursday, with the exception of players continuing their recovery from long-term injuries. Jill Roord, who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury last season, is close to returning though Taylor admitted that the Paris FC game will come too soon. "I think this weekend is where you'll see Jill back in the squad," he added.
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