England manager Sarina Wiegman revealed that Beth Mead is not in her World Cup plans bar a miracle. Mead, who won the Golden Boot and was named tournament player when the Lionesses won the Europeans last year, has been out since November with an ACL injury. Wiegman addressed Arsenal forward Mead during a press conference after naming a 25-man roster for next month’s friendly against Brazil and Australia.
“I spoke with her; she’s doing great, she’s in treatment, she’s doing well, but the World Cup is actually too soon,” England boss Sarina Wiegman said about Beth Mead. “So, we responded, she’s not in our plans right now; just take your time and get well. But if a miracle occurs and she travels so quickly, we will reconsider – but I don’t foresee that at the present. Beth’s rehabilitation is going really well; she’s working extremely hard and is being supported by excellent specialists. But we don’t have any additional information on Beth’s return date. We’ll communicate it once we have it; otherwise, it’s simply guesswork, which is pointless and adds nothing to her rehab path.”
Wiegman’s comments show a shift in her perspective about Mead’s likely inclusion. In early February, the Dutch coach remarked that it was too soon to plan for a World Cup without Mead, and he was also hesitant to press Mead on her availability following the death of her mother.
“It’s too early to tell. So I’m not going to push it. She’s had so much going on in her life that I don’t want to push it right now, and we’ll see how her recuperation and rehab go, and then we’ll sit down at a time, which will be very soon, and we’ll look at the future a little bit,” she added. “But I don’t want to look too far ahead right now because she has just come from a very difficult situation. The next season is realistic – but I’m not really! My motivation is definitely the World Cup. I want to do all possible to qualify for a World Cup.”
Sarina Wiegman has recalled Hannah Hampton and Esme Morgan despite being uncapped. Lucy Parker joins the Lionesses as they prepare for back-to-back matches in April against Brazil and World Cup co-hosts Australia. Hampton, Aston Villa’s twice-capped keeper, returns for the first time since the Euros triumph last year.
“If it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be, but it’s something I can aim for. So far, I’m ahead of schedule, and I’d like to maintain it that way. It’s been a long injury with many ups and downs,” she added. “The rehabilitation is progressing well. It’s moving slowly, but it’s been beneficial for me to sit down and reflect on the year we’ve had, the legacy we’ve established as a women’s team.”
Manchester City’s Morgan won three senior caps in October and November of last year, while West Ham’s Parker is the team’s sole uncapped player. Emily Ramsey, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Katie Zelem, and Ebony Salmon are all out of the roster for February owing to injuries. Fran Kirby of Chelsea is remains out with a knee injury, while Bethany England of Tottenham is also absent after scoring six goals since joining Tottenham from Chelsea in January.
England squad
Goalkeepers: Mary Earps, Sandy MacIver, Ellie Roebuck, Hannah Hampton
Defenders: Millie Bright, Lucy Bronze, Jess Carter, Niamh Charles, Alex Greenwood, Maya Le Tissier, Esme Morgan, Lucy Parker, Leah Williamson
Midfielders: Laura Coombs, Jordan Nobbs, Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Keira Walsh
Forwards: Rachel Daly, Lauren Hemp, Lauren James, Chloe Kelly, Jess Park, Alessia Russo, Katie Robinson
The group stage will begin on July 20 and run for two weeks, concluding on August 3. The champions and runners-up in each group will proceed to the round of 16, which will be held from August 5 to August 8. The quarter-finals will be contested in Wellington, Auckland, Brisbane, and Sydney on August 11 and 12. The first semi-final will be held on August 15 in Auckland, with the second semi-final taking place on August 16 at Sydney’s Accor Stadium, which will host the final on August 20. A third-place play-off will be conducted in Brisbane on August 19, the day before the final.
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