SARINA SETS SIGHTS ON A WORLD PLAN
SARINA WIEGMAN told her European champions to start focusing on next year’s World Cup – as they prepare to return to the scene of their greatest triumph.
The England boss has challenged the squad she has selected for friendlies against the USA and the Czech Republic to start the countdown to next year’s finals in Australia and New Zealand.
Euro winners Fran Kirby and Chloe Kelly have been recalled after recovering from injury.
But there is no place for Chelsea’s Beth England, Manchester United’s Nikita Parris and Arsenal duo Jordan Nobbs and Lotte Wubben-Moy.
England face the USA in front of a sell-out Wembley on Friday week, their first match there since the summer’s Euros glory, before meeting the Czechs at Brighton on Tuesday, October 11.
Wiegman (below) said: “Our focus is now firmly on the World Cup next summer. All of our time together is vitally important and this is an opportunity for those selected to apply themselves to the best of their ability on and off the pitch.
“The challenge of facing the USA, who are world champions, is one we look forward to and it is another tough fixture to measure our progress as we look to continue to make the next step forward.
“We are so excited to be able to go back to Wembley after our incredible experience in July, but we also know it will be a challenging game against very strong opposition.
“We are working hard towards next summer and this will help us understand where we are in our preparation.”
There are first senior call-ups for West Ham’s Lucy Parker and Jessica Park, who is on loan at Everton, while Manchester City’s Esme Morgan, who has yet to make her senior international debut, returns after her September 2021 call-up which she missed due to injury.
SQUAD: Goalkeepers: Earps (Man Utd), MacIver, Roebuck (both Man City); Defenders: Bright (Chelsea), Bronze (Barcelona), Carter (Chelsea, Daly (A Villa), Greenwood (Man City), Morgan (Man City), Parker (West Ham), Stokes (Man City), Williamson (capt, Arsenal); Midfielders: Kirby (Chelsea), Park (Everton), Stanway (B Munich), Toone, Zelem (both Man Utd), Walsh (Barcelona); Forwards: Hemp, Kelly (both Man City), James (Chelsea), Mead (Arsenal), Russo (Man Utd), Salmon (Houston Dash).