England have announced their 23-player squad for the upcoming Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Arsenal forward Beth Mead, who was the top scorer at Euro 2022, has not been included due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Tottenham striker Beth England, who has not been involved since last summer, is included having scored 12 goals in her past 12 Women’s Super League games. Chelsea centre-back Millie Bright, who has been out with a knee injury since March, has made the squad and will captain the team in the absence of injured defender Leah Williamson. Barcelona defender Lucy Bronze is also included despite having knee surgery in April. Manchester United forward Nikita Parris and defender Maya le Tissier have not been called up, but Le Tissier has been placed on standby alongside uncapped goalkeeper Emily Ramsey and forward Jess Park. Manchester City defender Steph Houghton, who captained England for eight years, has not been called up despite injuries in defence leading to some calls for her return. Midfielder Laura Coombs is one of six players in the squad who will be going to their first major tournament, along with Chelsea pair Lauren James and Niamh Charles, Manchester City’s Esme Morgan, Manchester United’s Katie Zelem and Brighton’s Katie Robinson. England head coach Sarina Wiegman confirmed that Le Tissier was ‘really close’ to making the squad but did not get there due to competition in defensive positions. Wiegman also said that Aston Villa forward Rachel Daly, who was the WSL’s Player of the Season and top goalscorer, can play up front in the tournament having started every game at left-back at Euro 2022. Wiegman’s decision to name 23 players is also different from last summer’s home Euros, where she had a longlist of 28 names initially. England will play Haiti in their opening match on 22 July in Australia.
England have announced their 23-player squad for the upcoming Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Arsenal forward Beth Mead, who was the top scorer at Euro 2022, has not been included due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Tottenham striker Beth England, who has not been involved since last summer, is included having scored 12 goals in her past 12 Women’s Super League games. Chelsea centre-back Millie Bright, who has been out with a knee injury since March, has made the squad and will captain the team in the absence of injured defender Leah Williamson. Barcelona defender Lucy Bronze is also included despite having knee surgery in April. Manchester United forward Nikita Parris and defender Maya le Tissier have not been called up, but Le Tissier has been placed on standby alongside uncapped goalkeeper Emily Ramsey and forward Jess Park. Manchester City defender Steph Houghton, who captained England for eight years, has not been called up despite injuries in defence leading to some calls for her return.
Midfielder Laura Coombs is one of six players in the squad who will be going to their first major tournament, along with Chelsea pair Lauren James and Niamh Charles, Manchester City’s Esme Morgan, Manchester United’s Katie Zelem and Brighton’s Katie Robinson. England head coach Sarina Wiegman confirmed that Le Tissier was ‘really close’ to making the squad but did not get there due to competition in defensive positions. Wiegman also said that Aston Villa forward Rachel Daly, who was the WSL’s Player of the Season and top goalscorer, can play up front in the tournament having started every game at left-back at Euro 2022. Wiegman’s decision to name 23 players is also different from last summer’s home Euros, where she had a longlist of 28 names initially.
England will play Haiti in their opening match on 22 July in Australia. Wiegman said her decision to leave out Le Tissier was one of the hardest to make because of competition in defensive positions, where there is lots of versatility. She has just two caps for England but has impressed at centre-back for United this season. Le Tissier, Ramsey and Park will train with the squad at St George’s Park in June. Goalkeeper Ramsey will leave the group prior to departure for Australia.
Aside from selection, another talking point was who would take over the captaincy from Williamson in her injury absence. Bright was named vice-captain for Euro 2022 and Wiegman confirmed she will wear the armband in Australia. “I haven’t told her she would be the captain, that’s how we’ve been all the time,” said Wiegman. “Where she is at right now in her rehab, we haven’t really spoken about it yet. She will be fine, she has done it before.”
England have announced their 23-player squad for the upcoming Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Arsenal forward Beth Mead, who was the top scorer at Euro 2022, has not been included due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Tottenham striker Beth England is included having scored 12 goals in her past 12 Women’s Super League games while Chelsea centre-back Millie Bright, who has been out with a knee injury since March, has made the squad and will captain the team in the absence of injured defender Leah Williamson. Barcelona defender Lucy Bronze is also included despite having knee surgery in April.
Manchester United forward Nikita Parris and defender Maya le Tissier have not been called up, but Le Tissier has been placed on standby alongside uncapped goalkeeper Emily Ramsey and forward Jess Park. Manchester City defender Steph Houghton, who captained England for eight years, has not been called up despite injuries in defence leading to some calls for her return. Midfielder Laura Coombs is one of six players in the squad who will be going to their first major tournament, along with Chelsea pair Lauren James and Niamh Charles, Manchester City’s Esme Morgan, Manchester United’s Katie Zelem and Brighton’s Katie Robinson.
England head coach Sarina Wiegman confirmed that Le Tissier was ‘really close’ to making the squad but did not get there due to competition in defensive positions. Wiegman also said that Aston Villa forward Rachel Daly, who was the WSL’s Player of the Season and top goalscorer, can play up front in the tournament having started every game at left-back at Euro 2022. Wiegman’s decision to name 23 players is also different from last summer’s home Euros, where she had a longlist of 28 names initially.
England will play Haiti in their opening match on 22 July in Australia. Wiegman said her decision to leave out Le Tissier was one of the hardest to make because of competition in defensive positions, where there is lots of versatility. She has just two caps for England but has impressed at centre-back for United this season. Le Tissier, Ramsey and Park will train with the squad at St George’s Park in June before Ramsey leaves prior to departure for Australia.
Aside from selection, another talking point was who would take over the captaincy from Williamson in her injury absence. Bright was named vice-captain for Euro 2022 and Wiegman confirmed she will wear the armband in Australia. “I haven’t told her she would be the captain, that’s how we’ve been all the time,” said Wiegman. “Where she is at right now in her rehab, we haven’t really spoken about it yet. She will be fine, she has done it before.”