The England women's national football team has received a significant boost with the return of midfielder Ella Toone to the squad for the first time since November. The Manchester United star has recovered from a hip injury that kept her out for the latter half of the season, and manager Sarina Wiegman has expressed optimism about her potential impact in the crucial Women's World Cup qualifiers next month.
Toone's Return Adds Depth to Midfield
Wiegman confirmed that Toone "looks good" and is expected to be involved as England aim to secure their place at next year's tournament. The Lionesses need at least a draw against Spain in Majorca on 5 June to qualify automatically. "It's nice she is back and of course she's called up, so it's good to have that option in midfield," Wiegman said. However, she added a note of caution regarding playing time: "We haven't made decisions on the starting line-ups and minutes yet. I know for a lot of players it's the end of the season, and some are still playing. We have to see her in our environment. What I've seen looks good. Can she play 90 minutes at the highest level? I don't know, but I know she can play."
Lucy Bronze Included Despite Fitness Concerns
Defender Lucy Bronze has also been named in the 25-player squad despite battling a foot injury in recent weeks. Wiegman acknowledged that some players may lack match fitness but maintained confidence in their quality. "There are a couple of players who haven't played that many minutes. I still think they're the best players, and that we can make the chance of winning as high as possible when they're in. We have a squad of 25, so we have enough options," she explained.
England's Path to World Cup Qualification
England travel to Majorca to face the current world champions on 5 June, with a draw sufficient to secure their World Cup spot. The Lionesses boast a perfect record of four wins from four qualifiers so far. They will then face Ukraine at the Hill Dickinson Stadium four days later. Wiegman emphasised a proactive approach: "We're just really approaching it as we have an opportunity to qualify for the World Cup, and we know what the scenarios are, and we really want to go out there and play to win." She added, "What we want to do is go to Majorca and play Spain and beat Spain, that's our starting point, and go out and play better than we have done at Wembley, because we want to improve every single day."
England Squad for World Cup Qualifiers
- Goalkeepers: Hannah Hampton, Anna Moorhouse, Ellie Roebuck
- Defenders: Lucy Bronze, Jess Carter, Niamh Charles, Alex Greenwood, Taylor Hinds, Esme Morgan, Maya Le Tissier, Leah Williamson, Lotte Wubben-Moy
- Midfielders: Laura Blindkilde Brown, Lucia Kendall, Jess Park, Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Keira Walsh
- Attackers: Aggie Beever-Jones, Freya Godfrey, Lauren Hemp, Lauren James, Chloe Kelly, Beth Mead, Alessia Russo
