Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman praised United States women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes ahead of their upcoming friendly, but England will be without three key players for the blockbuster clash at the end of the month.
Lauren James, Ella Toone and Lauren Hemp have all been excluded from Wiegman’s 24-player squad for the upcoming friendlies against the USA at Wembley Stadium and Switzerland in Sheffield due to injuries.
Manchester City confirmed that Hemp has undergone successful knee surgery, a big blow Wiegman given the forward’s excellent form that earned her the Women’s Super League (WSL) player of the month for October. There is no timeline for her return from either club or country, but Wiegman is “not worried” for the long-term future, revealing that it is not an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Chelsea star James has been struggling with an ankle injury since before the last international break, while Toone missed Manchester United’s win over Leicester City with a calf injury.
Wiegman added that it “became clear pretty quickly that she [Toone] wouldn’t be able to be part of our squad.” A source told ESPN that Toone will be out for six weeks to recover from the lower leg injury.
City’s Laura Blindkilde Brown and Leicester’s Ruby Mace earned their first call-ups. The duo have previously been a part of England’s under-23 squad, with the senior manager describing the pair as “very talented players.”
Wiegman has included City winger Chloe Kelly despite the forward failing to make the starting XI for Gareth Taylor regularly and sometimes remaining as an unused substitute in both the League and Champions League.
“I think its a concern right now already,” she said when discussing Kelly’s playing minutes. “It’s a hard situation; competition at Man City is high, too. It’s to have a look at what’s available, players we have available for our squad. We have some injuries up front; Lauren Hemp is injured, and Lauren James is injured so that competition is still going on, too.
“Chloe knows that she is not in the best position at the club at the moment, but [she has] enough credit to bring her is related to the whole team and the availability of players.”
The Lionesses are preparing to face the UWSNT in a block-buster friendly on Nov. 30. The game will mark manager Emma Hayes’ return to England after she departed Chelsea following a 12-year stint to take the helm of the four-time World Cup winners last summer.
Within her first few months with the USA, Hayes secured an Olympic Gold medal, making her adjustment from club to national team coaching completely seamless.
Wiegman was full of praise for the Ballon d’Or Women’s Coach of the Year and said that she was not surprised by Hayes’ lightning start to life in America.
“It hasn’t surprised me at all because I value her really highly,” Wiegman continued. “She’s done an amazing job at Chelsea, but now going into that environment with the USA and of course to win a gold medal, it’s incredible what she’s done. It’s really, really impressive. And I’m looking forward to seeing her and meeting her and to play the USA with England. It’s going to be a good one.”
England slumped against Germany in a 4-3 defeat at Wembley Stadium last month. The reigning European Champions conceded three times in the opening 30 minutes but fought back through a brace from Georgia Stanway. They struggled against South Africa despite a 2-1 victory as defensive woes for England continued.
Wiegman says these next two games are vital to building ahead of defending their Euros title next summer in Switzerland.
“We’ve had the opportunity now to play four friendlies – we’ve already played two and have two more. We’re going to get so many things out of this next camp and the next two games. We want to try out new things, we want to experiment – we’re not going to get everything right – but it’s so important in the games against the US and Switzerland to figure out things and to see players. That gives us so much information.
“We will play to win — we always do — but at the same time we’re experimenting and if we get things out of that, then for me it’s successful.”
England squad for USA, Switzerland
Goalkeepers: Mary Earps, Hannah Hampton, Anna Moorhouse
Defenders: Millie Bright, Lucy Bronze, Jess Carter, Gabby George. Alex Greenwood, Maya Le Tissier, Esme Morgan, Millie Turner, Leah Williamson
Midfielders: Laura Blindkilde Brown, Grace Clinton, Fran Kirby, Ruby Mace, Jess Park, Georgia Stanway, Keira Walsh.
Forwards: Aggie Beever-Jones, Chloe Kelly, Beth Mead, Jess Naz, Alessia Russo
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