When Fran Kirby felt what England staff hope is just a bit of rotation in her previously injured knee in the warm-up ahead of Friday’s impressive 7-2 defeat of Austria, there would be no risks taken. Kirby, named in the starting XI, was replaced as a precaution with Ella Toone coming in.
This was not an unfamiliar switch, with Toone regularly coming off the bench in place of Kirby or starting in the No 10 role in her absence. But this was not the only change Sarina Wiegman made, the manager grasping the opportunity to rotate and experiment in some increasingly rare friendly fixtures. Grace Clinton was handed her debut, Hannah Hampton started in goal, Maya Le Tissier played at right-back and Lotte Wubben-Moy and Jess Park came off the bench to add to their low cap tallies.
