Rachel Daly said injured Keira Walsh is “in good spirits” after it was announced that the defensive midfielder had not sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the 1-0 defeat of Denmark on Friday.
The Barcelona midfielder was taken off during the first half of England’s win in Sydney and will have further medical assessments in the hope that she can play again at the World Cup.
“That’s Keira all over,” Daly said. “She’s always got a smile on her face. She’s in and around the team, obviously in the best place possible for recovery and we’re just there to support her, whatever she needs.”
Walsh fell to the ground in the 35th minute and appeared to say to the medical staff “I’ve done my knee”. Daly said: “Initially, obviously, it was heartbreaking. You always feel the worst in those situations. As a teammate, as a friend, it’s even harder and she’s obviously such a pivotal part of our team on and off the pitch, so it was tough.
“It’s not nice to see anyone get injured. But yeah, a sigh of relief, I suppose, when it wasn’t the dreaded three-letter word and we’re all just here to support her and get her through whatever she needs.”
Daly praised the resilience of the team as “something special” and said that although Walsh was difficult to replace it was a moment for someone else to seize an opportunity.
“[You bring] a 23-player squad that can all be capable of stepping up in these moments,” she said. “We know that as a team, the players believe in that, the staff believe in that and I hope that everybody else on the outside believes that.
“Yes, it’s sad to see someone not be able to play, but it’s a fantastic opportunity for somebody else to step up. It’s a team game and we have to see what Sarina [Wiegman] puts out there, but everyone is capable of stepping in. No one’s going to replace somebody else. Everyone brings something different to the squad, their own unique ability. So it will be tough, but we know that and it’s not just about one individual.”
Daly will step in wherever she is needed. After starting every match of last year’s Euros at left-back, she was called up to the World Cup squad as a centre-forward, having been the Women’s Super League top scorer as a No 9 for Aston Villa. Against Denmark, though, she was back at left-back. In open training before the game she could be seen doing a lot of shooting, so when did she know she would play left-back?
“I’m in constant communication with Sarina about positions, as I’m sure everyone is,” she said. “She’s fantastic at communication. It’s something we have spoken about. It might happen. Be ready. That’s why I always stay ready for any position in which I’m needed.”
Daly watches clips of the wingers in case she needs to slot in farther back. “Our analyst sends me clips,” she said. “He knows that I like watching clips of the opposition whatever position I’m playing in. It’s not for everyone but I like to look for it and prepare myself. It may be the night before the game. It’s something at the back of my mind that it could happen. It could be that it does and I’m in the best possible position, if needed.”
Daly made a huge impact in her first start of the tournament, providing the assist for Lauren James’s early goal. The pair seemed to click very quickly. “It’s hard not to connect with a player of her ability,” she said. “She’s phenomenal. You guys got to see it on a world stage but we see it every day in training. She’s a joke, she’s so good. She’s a girl that’s young, we have to guide her as well. I talk to her a lot, we chatted about it. It was easy to connect with her. It was nice to see her shine on the big stage and for everyone to see what we do.”
