Sarina Wiegman has confirmed England’s captain, Millie Bright, is fit to start in the Group D opener against Haition Saturday. The defender has not played a competitive game since March after sustaining a knee injury that required surgery to clean it out but remained confident she would be ready.
“We’re happy,” Wiegman said. “This was the plan. The plan worked and Millie is ready to play.” Bright, who played an unknown number of minutes in a behind-closed-doors friendly with Canada on the Sunshine Coast before the team travelled to Brisbane, said: “When you are surrounded by the best people, I was very confident in my recovery and I have been given absolutely everything that I needed to be in this position that I am in. I am grateful that I am able to play. I am super-excited to be here.”
Confirmation of Bright’s fitness is a big relief for England, who are without her centre-back partner Leah Williamson, the captain at the Euros, who sustained an ACL injury while playing for Arsenal.
Wiegman said her entire squad was fit and that she knew her XI but would not be drawn into naming it. “I’ve decided but I’m not going to tell you,” she said with a wry smile, and she would not say when the players will find out either.
The manager said she was not concerned about off-pitch goings-on, with the team in dispute with the Football Association over performance-related bonuses, and that the focus remained the same in training.
“When we go on the pitch … everyone is aligned and everyone is focused on football,” she said. “I haven’t seen any other behaviours. So yes, we are ready. We have said all the time we want to be ready on 22 July and I think we are. We have had our last training session and we are ready to go.”
England (4-3-3): Earps; Bronze, Bright, Carter, Greenwood; Stanway, Walsh, Toone; James, Daly, Hemp.
Subs from Hampton, Roebuck, Charles, Wubben-Moy, Morgan, Nobbs, Coombs, Zelem, Kelly, England, Robinson, Russo.
Haiti (4-4-2): Théus; Surpris, Limage, Tabita Joseph, K Louis; B Louis, Jeudy, Pierre-Louis, Mondésir; Borgella, Dumornay.
Subs from Ambroise, Larco, Petit-Frère, E Joseph, Pierre-Jérôme, Mathurin, Moryl, Etienne, Ganthier, Darlina Joseph, Eloissaint, S Joseph
Referee Emikar Calderas (Ven)
On bonuses, Bright pointed to the statement released by players which said the team had parked the issue for the duration of the tournament but would pick it up again soon after.
“It’s not a situation everyone wants to be in,” she said. “As players we’re not just programmed to play football, sometimes we have to have these conversations. But we have a very professional group and football is always at the front of everything.
“Everyone’s seen the statement. So, as players now, with our heads on the game – they always have been on the game – everything is on hold with those sorts of questions. We will address the situation at a later date. But for now, it’s all about the tournament.”
In terms of England’s chances of winning the World Cup, Wiegman said: “We’re here and we have a dream. Of course, there is always a chance to win the World Cup. We will of course give our everything.”
