Manchester City midfielder Jess Park has departed England Women’s World Cup squad due to injury.
The 21-year-old was on the Lionesses’ stand-by list ahead of next month’s tournament in Australia and New Zealand but has withdrawn from the squad and will return to City for rehabilitation of her shoulder injury, the club have confirmed.
Former Manchester United and now-Aston Villa midfielder Lucy Staniforth has been called up to take the place of Park.
Park sustained a shoulder injury in May while on loan with Everton during a training session. The injury cut short an impressive spell with the Toffees, in which the starlet made 22 appearances across all competitions, scoring five goals while providing another five assists as she helped Everton to a sixth-place finish in the WSL.
Her consistent performances for Brian Sorensen’s side saw her earn her senior England debut last November and enter the conversation of a potential berth in Sarina Wiegman’s 23-player World Cup squad.
But despite ongoing rehabilitation with City following her return from Merseyside, Park’s injury has seen her forced to withdraw from Wiegman’s standby list.
Staniforth joins United’s Maya Le Tissier on standby and both will remain with the squad until the opening match against Haiti in Brisbane, Australia, on 22 July.
The Lionesses will face Portugal at Stadium MK on 1 July as a final send-off before the summer’s showpiece event.
