Millie Bright and Bethany England have been included in the England Women squad for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, while Beth Mead has not made the 23-player list.
Chelsea defender Bright has not featured since March after picking up a knee injury, but was expected to be included for the tournament, which begins on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand.
Sarina Wiegman has also confirmed that Bright will be England captain this summer in the absence of the injured Leah Williamson.
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Lucy Bronze too has been sidelined since picking up a knee injury against Chelsea in the Women’s Champions League semi-finals, but is also expected to be fit for the tournament.
Speaking after her squad was announced, Wiegman said: “Lucy is fit. She is fully in training and she’s getting ready for the [Champions League] final on Saturday.
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“Millie is in a good place. She’s still positive and she’s building. But we have some time so she’ll be with us too. It looks good.
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“In terms of captaincy, we had Leah with the vice-captain as Millie [Bright]. Mary [Earps] has done it too so that’s how we will approach it now.”
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Tottenham striker England – who scored 12 goals in just 12 WSL games for Spurs following her record-breaking January move from Chelsea – has also been called up.
She was part of the Euro 2022-winning squad, but has missed out on international football since September. However, her fine club form has seen her earn a recall in time for the summer’s tournament.
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“Beth England deserve to be back in because of her performances,” Wiegman said of the forward. “She was at Chelsea and wasn’t getting the minutes.
“We always say that if you’re really competing for a position, she didn’t build up much credit for us as she was hardly playing.
“She then made her move and started playing in a hard situation. Tottenham were having a hard time but she showed a lot of resilience which made us make the decision to put her in the squad.”
There had been some hopes among England fans that Mead may have been included after her ACL injury in November, but she has not been named. Fran Kirby also misses out with injury, alongside Williamson.
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England manager Sarina Wiegman explains her squad selection decisions for this summer’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
When asked if Mead ever had a chance of making the squad, Wiegman replied: “No, I don’t think so. Beth is so positive and she’s going really well [in her recovery]. But we were always wary of her time schedule.
“We would’ve had to take so many risks to try to get her to the World Cup. She also had a personal situation too so that all added up and we decided very early on that we weren’t going to take that risk to push her too much, and then she gets injured again.
“We have to look after the players and do what’s smart – not do what’s naïve.”
Image: Katie Zelem has been included in England's squad for the World Cup this summer
Manchester United captain Katie Zelem will also feature in her first major tournament squad, having been cut from Wiegman’s initial 28-player squad before the Euros last summer. Niamh Charles, Laura Coombs, Lauren James, Esme Morgan and Katie Robinson will also feature at their first senior international finals.
Wiegman has also named three standby players – goalkeeper Emily Ramsey, defender Maya Le Tissier and forward Jess Park – who will train with the squad at St George’s Park ahead of the tournament.
Ramsey will leave the group prior to departure for Australia. Le Tissier and Park will travel with the Lionesses and will be included in preparations. England can include one of their standbys in their 23-player squad up until their opening match against Haiti on July 22, should another player pick up an injury or fall ill.
Wiegman: Stressful week, but England still in good place heading into World Cup
Image: Wiegman guided the Lionesses to Euro 2022 glory last summer
England manager Sarina Wiegman:
“The last week has been pretty stressful. We’ve had to make hard decisions in the last period. It’s nice for the ones who are in, it’s not nice for the ones who aren’t.
“We’ve had very good conversations with the tactical staff, we follow the players very closely. But it’s been really hard.
“Everyone you call to give them good news is a nice moment. When there is a positive message. For some, it was expected while for others it was a little less but I won’t talk about individual phone calls.
“We had some very nice ones and some very who were very anxious about this moment.
“Our approach is no different in this tournament in the sense that we always want to be at our best.
“We’re a little bit in transition now with some changes in the team, but I still think we’re really good and have many very talented players.
“We’re just going to make sure that we’re at our best and then we’ll see how far we’ll go. We’re still in a very good place.”
What will Millie Bright be like as captain?
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Former England goalkeeper Carly Telford says Sarina Wiegman has opted for a balance of youth and experience in her World Cup squad.
Former England goalkeeper Carly Telford speaking on Sky Sports News:
“I think Millie does her talking on the pitch. If you’re a player and you’re following someone, Millie will set the standards in training and in the game.
“She’s a motivator, she’s a winner, that’s why she’s been at a club like Chelsea and been so successful.
“With Millie, what she has learnt over the past few years, even being vice-captain at Chelsea, is how much she’s matured. How to have difficult with people around you, how to motivate those around you.
“It looks easy, but it’s a skill to learn and to manage and Millie will be so well-equipped now.
“The best thing is she’s fit and she has a healthy knee now. People don’t know that Millie Bright has been strapped up with this knee for three years. But we’ve got a fully-fit Millie now and she’s going to have a great tournament.
“It’s a solid squad. It’s got good versatility and good depth.
“I don’t think there will be too many who expected to be in the squad and will be disappointed to have been left out. It’s more about surprise inclusions. Sarina’s pretty set in her ways.”
Will Nobbs and Daly take club form into the World Cup?
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Aston Villa manager Carla Ward on Sky Sports News:
“When Rachel Daly came into the club, we spoke about her wanting to lead the line for her country and into the WSL and prove to people that she can do it. And she has done that.
“Hannah Hampton has got back into the England squad after being in the form of her life.
“Jordan Nobbs is the most delighted of them all. She made a massive decision to leave a club that she loves and spent so many years that in the hope she would get this call. It’s far to say she’s very happy today.
“We should be talking about Rachel Daly being England’s No 9. The amount of goals she has scored, 22 in 22 games at this level, is not easy. Only Vivianne Miedema has done that.
Image: Jordan Nobbs moved from Arsenal to Aston Villa in January in a bid to make this summer's World Cup squad
“Daly has been unbelievable and has shown it for England when she’s started. She’s done exceptionally well. She’s scored goals and is creating. She has to start in that No 9 role.
“Time will tell if she does that. She will be disappointed if she’s not started in the No 9.
“Jordan has got a huge amount of experience and Sarina knows and will tap into that during the tournament.
“What Jordan does well is connect with the No 9 and get beyond and she’s done that brilliantly over the last few months or so. She will give a different type of option of what’s in the squad already.”
England Women squad in full
Goalkeepers: Mary Earps (Man Utd), Ellie Roebuck (Man City), Hannah Hampton (Aston Villa).
Defenders: Millie Bright (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Barcelona), Jess Carter (Chelsea), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Esme Morgan (Man City), Alex Greenwood (Man City), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal).
Midfielders: Keira Walsh (Barcelona), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Man Utd), Jordan Nobbs (Aston Villa), Laura Coombs (Man City), Katie Zelem (Man Utd).
Forwards: Alessia Russo (Man Utd), Rachel Daly (Aston Villa), Lauren Hemp (Man City), Chloe Kelly (Man City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Katie Robinson (Brighton), Bethany England (Tottenham).
Standby players: Maya Le Tissier (Man Utd), Jess Park (Man City), Emily Ramsey (Man Utd).
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