Ella Toone and Alessia Russo have been given the nod to start for England in today’s Women’s World Cup opener versus Haiti.
Sarina Wiegman faced a number of tough calls for her starting line-up, with a combination of injuries and retirements shaking things up throughout the spine of the team that won the Euros last year.
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England are without some hugely influential players in Australia including captain Leah Williamson, top striker Beth Mead and Chelsea’s Fran Kirby, while the likes of Jill Scott and Ellen White stepped down on a high after that Wembley fairytale.
It’s undoubtedly made Wiegman’s life more difficult as Group D gets off and running in Brisbane, with some key decisions for the boss to make.
Chief among them came up front, where she had to choose between Russo, Rachel Daly and Bethany England, with goals having been notably hard to come by of late as England have gone three consecutive matches now without scoring.
Thankfully the confirmed fitness of stand-in skipper Millie Bright after a knee injury has reduced the issues in defence, where Alex Greenwood starts alongside her.
England have no lingering injury concerns in their final tournament squad however, with all 23 players fit and having trained in advance of Saturday’s opening contest at Suncorp Stadium, where they will be expected to deliver an emphatic opening statement despite a rocky build-up to the World Cup.
England XI: Earps; Bronze, Bright, Greenwood, Carter; Stanway, Walsh; Hemp, Toone, Kelly; Russo
Injured: Willamson, Mead, Kirby
Doubts: None
Suspended: None
Time and date: 10:30am BST on Saturday July 22, 2023
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
