LONDON: In a surprising decision, Beth Mead has been left out of the England squad for the upcoming Women’s World Cup. However, there is a comeback for Bethany England, who will be part of the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
England manager Sarina Wiegman has recalled England after her impressive performance, scoring 12 goals for Tottenham in the Women’s Super League since joining from Chelsea in January. Although England was part of the squad as an unused member during Wiegman’s team’s victory in the Women’s European Championship last year, she has not appeared on the international stage since September.
On the other hand, it is a blow to England’s aspirations for their first Women’s World Cup triumph as they will miss out on the talents of Mead, who clinched the Golden Boot at Euro 2022. Unfortunately, Mead’s recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered in November did not progress in time for the World Cup.
Despite injury concerns, Chelsea center-back Millie Bright and Barcelona defender Lucy Bronze have made it to the 23-player squad. However, Leah Williamson and Fran Kirby were already ruled out due to their respective injuries. Jordan Nobbs, who recently sustained an injury in Aston Villa’s penultimate game of the season, has been included.
Katie Zelem has been given another chance after not making the previous squad in April, but former captain Steph Houghton did not receive a recall.
England’s Squad Selection
Wiegman acknowledged the difficulty in making the final selection and expressed sympathy for those left out. She also provided updates on the fitness of players, stating that Bronze and Bright are fully fit and training well.
Regarding Mead’s exclusion, Wiegman explained the decision, saying, “She is so positive and she’s going really well. But we set the time schedule she had. We would have taken so many risks to try and get her to the World Cup. But to push her too much could mean she gets injured again.”
Although the absence of Mead, Kirby, and Williamson poses a challenge for Wiegman, she remains confident in the squad’s depth. Wiegman emphasized the strength of the 23 players chosen and expressed her determination to prepare the team for the tournament.
England’s campaign in the Women’s World Cup will commence with a match against Haiti in Brisbane on July 22, followed by games against Denmark and China in Group D.
