How England Women can approach Women’s World Cup campaign without Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and Fran Kirby
Two months, two weeks, and four days stand between England and their World Cup opener against Haiti in Brisbane. Unfortunately, there is much work to be done before the Lionesses travel Down Under.
Sarina Wiegman will be without Euro 2022 Golden Boot winner Beth Mead and forward Fran Kirby and also still coming to terms with captain Leah Williamson being ruled out of the tournament with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze have recently undergone knee surgery and are in a race against time to be fit for this summer’s showpiece.
Elsewhere, there are further concerns to worry about after the European Club Association ruled that players would not be available to join their respective international set-ups until 10 days before the first match to protect the players’ health and well-being.
As a result, Wiegman will have to reschedule two preparation camps scheduled for 19-23 June and June 26 to July 1.
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Whatever plan A was will have to be revised, rewritten, or chucked out of the window. So, how will it all look once the dust has settled?
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The injury crisis: What we know
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Sky Sports News reporter Anton Toloui examines the selection dilemmas facing England manager Sarina Wiegman ahead of the games against Brazil and Australia
England have known all season that something miraculous would have to happen for Mead to be fit in time for July. They’ve been planning for it by experimenting with their creative midfielders options.
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They did not expect two other essential starters to follow suit. Losing Williamson was an especially tough pill to swallow, given that she is the latest in a long line of high-profile women’s football players to suffer an ACL injury.
Kirby had been absent since February with a knee problem. She received two injections over the coming months and attempted to alleviate the issues without surgery, but the injury was not responding well to non-surgical methods. Finally, she had a successful procedure on Wednesday and joined Williamson on the sidelines.
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Both Bright and Bronze have already undergone knee surgery. The pair were absent in the second leg of the Women’s Champions League semi-final at the Nou Camp, but both parties have assured that they will be fit to start, come July 22.
The absences put Wiegman in a difficult position. She has a penchant for rarely giving fringe players the time they need to gel, but she may be forced to do so with key personnel out of the action.
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The shortlist: Who could slot in instead of Williamson?
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Former England international Karen Carney gives her reaction on how the Lionesses will respond to Leah Williamson’s injury setback
Williamson has played in different positions for club and country, making picking an understudy slightly more complicated.
In place of the injured Kim Little, the 26-year-old was bumped into the holding midfield role for Arsenal. However, England have primarily used her as a starting centre-back, which means there is now a gap to be filled.
The most likely replacement is Alex Greenwood. She’s played there before for Manchester City and, as a left-footed defender, is expected to thrive.
Her passing range has been vital in cultivating counter attacks for City; she holds the record for the most significant number of passes in the final third this season.
Lotte Wubben-Moy also deserves a mention. Wiegman has picked her as a centre-back in the past, and she possesses a passing ability that matches Williamson’s.
Jess Carter is a more unorthodox selection. Chelsea have primarily deployed her on the left, but she can also work in a back three. Her versatility, combined with a determined strength in one-on-one situations, makes her an ideal pick.
She isn’t able to contribute to attack as much as the other possible alternatives, which may push her down the pecking order.
Maya Le Tissier is all that and more. She mirrors Williamson’s best traits: Strong on and off the ball with a forward-thinking mentality. This season, she’s joint-top for the number of successful through balls in the WSL with Ella Toone.
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Another name to discuss is Esme Morgan. She’s been a favourite of Wiegman in the past but lacks a certain finesse on the ball and is known to be error-prone.
The final addition to this list is a bit controversial: Steph Houghton. The Man City defender has nursed several season-ending injuries that have kept her off the international scene in recent campaigns. Earlier in the year, she asked for closure in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live. Wiegman responded that her chances of a recall were low.
The England boss did say that the situation could change if things happened to other players – and they have – but there are many ahead of her in the queue.
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How England might set up tactically in attacking spaces
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England Women head coach Sarina Wiegman says she still does not know the strongest lineup that shows how good the team is ahead of the World Cup
There are plenty of ways that England could set up against Haiti. Quite a few involve a new-look back line, but Wiegman may have to fiddle with her attacking midfield too.
The problem that has plagued the Lionesses in recent tournaments is an inability to combat a low or mid-block, which emphasises including capable ball carriers in the squad.
A 4-2-3-1 formation may be the best system to help bring that about, with Bronze and Bright joined by Carter shifting to right back and Greenwood bringing up the rear.
There is an option that sees Wubben-Moy join Bright in central defence. Still, given that Wiegman is already reluctant to tweak the starting XI, it’s likely that she’ll pick tried and tested starters.
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Sky Sports’ Anton Toloui analyses England’s potential strategies after facing a ‘big blow’ as Leah Williamson is ruled out of the World Cup with an ACL injury
She could be more useful if Wiegman switches to a back three, which she has done on the odd occasion to push one of her centre-backs, usually Bright, into attacking areas. This was trialled against Spain in the 2021 Women’s European Championship quarter-finals and helped England progress to the semis.
In midfield, there are more tactical conundrums to unravel. Kirby’s absence has left the Lionesses a little short on creativity, but her team-mate, Lauren James, will likely be able to adopt that role instead.
She has competition in the form of Chloe Kelly, who’s in flying form with Manchester City. But James may edge the proceedings as she possesses swifter counter-attacking abilities.
She is yet to become the out-and-out number 10 that Hayes is coaching her to be but is a more favourable pick over Rachel Daly and produces her best work as a starter rather than a substitute.
James will play as the wide forward in a midfield three alongside Lauren Hemp and Toone, while Kiera Walsh and Bayern Munich’s Georgia Stanway will sit as the two holding midfielders.
Up front, Alessio Russo has been the go-to lone striker, with her ability to drop deep and connect with the attacking midfield next to none. But Beth England is making it harder for Wiegman to deny her a starting berth, having scored in each of Tottenham’s last three games.
What are the chances of a deep World Cup campaign?
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Manchester United forward Ella Toone told Soccer AM she is “gutted” for Leah Williamson and hopes that England will make her “proud” at the World Cup
Wiegman has options. She’s always had options. But her reluctance to use them may lead to England’s downfall. She’ll have no choice but to delve deep into the roster this time around.
If England are to ride this wave of woes, they’ll need every player ready and available ahead of a sizzling summer.
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