Chloe Kelly and Fran Kirby are both missing due to injury from England’s first squad since their Euro 2022 triumph.
Winger Kelly, scorer of the extra-time winner against Germany that clinched Euros glory for the Lionesses at Wembley on July 31, sustained a problem during Manchester City’s Champions League qualifying loss to Real Madrid on Sunday, while Chelsea’s Kirby has been nursing a foot issue.
England boss Sarina Wiegman, whose side have a double-header of World Cup qualifiers against Austria away on September 3 and Luxembourg in Stoke three days later, told a press conference regarding the pair: “They’re OK.
“Chloe, it’s just a small thing but it’s too early to bring her in and let her play. Against Real Madrid she had to go out, I think something with her leg. It’s not too bad. I think it won’t take too long.
“Fran has a foot injury, it takes a little more time. I think she’ll be alright, but she hasn’t had that much training at all, so she just needs a little more time, this camp just comes too early.”
Hannah Hampton is also absent from the squad, with Wiegman saying of the Aston Villa goalkeeper: “She has some personal issues that she has to solve, so for her at this moment it’s better to stay at her club.”
The change from the squad that won the Euros also includes no Ellen White, the Lionesses’ record scorer, or Jill Scott, England’s second most capped player, after each announced their retirement from football earlier this week.
Wiegman said: “It’s hard to describe in words how much impact they had. Of course I’ve only worked with them for a year, so I’m a little disappointed I cannot work longer with them, but I totally understand their decision and respect that.
“Their impact on the game, on everything in women’s football, in England but I also think further than England, is just incredible. I think we’re all so proud of them and thankful for what they’ve brought, and I just hope they stick with the game in some kind of other role.”
She added: “We will absolutely miss those two, but I think that will stabilise over the next camps and it also gives an opportunity to other players to step up and become more a leader in the team – but I do think we already have some, that’s what we showed during the summer too.”
Among the incoming personnel in Wiegman’s 23-player group are forwards Lauren James, 20, and Ebony Salmon, 21.
Chelsea’s James is the only uncapped player in the squad, while one-cap Salmon, described by Wiegman as a “real goalscorer”, comes in having netted eight goals in as many games for Houston Dash.
Arsenal’s Jordan Nobbs is back after being ruled out of the Euros by a knee injury.
Manchester United midfielder Katie Zelem and Manchester City goalkeeper Sandy MacIver are also recalled after failing to make the cut when Wiegman reduced her 28-player provisional Euros squad to 23.
Former England skipper Steph Houghton, another who did not make that final 23, has not been brought back, despite making two substitute appearances last week for City.
That was Houghton’s first competitive action since undergoing Achilles surgery in February, and Wiegman said: “I just hope she can play more consecutive games and get some football rhythm, and see where she’s at. I had a conversation with her this week and I’ll have one before we go into the next camp.”
On the historic efforts of the summer that brought the Lionesses the first piece of major silverware in their history, Wiegman said: “I still think I need a little bit more time to really realise what happened.
“If I think back from when I started last year, where we are now and what we’ve done throughout the season, especially of course in the Euros, winning the Euros, it is just incredible. It is a little bit like a fairytale.”
England, Group D leaders with eight wins from eight qualifiers so far, will seal a spot in next year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand if they claim a point in the clash with second-placed Austria.
