Sarina Wiegman makes Gabby George admission after…

Sarina Wiegman makes Gabby George admission after Everton star left out of England squad

England boss Sarina Wiegman has revealed she is monitoring Everton defender Gabby George "very closely" despite failing to name her in the squad for the Lionesses' upcoming games in the Arnold Clark Cup.

George has been a standout performer for Brian Sorensen's side this season and was named the WSL Player of the Month for January after a string of impressive displays at left-back. The defender, who joined Everton in 2014, has notched a goal and two assists in 12 league appearances so far this term and has also shown her versatility by playing at centre-back for the Blues.

However, her impressive form has not been enough to earn her a place on the roster for England's games against Belgium, Italy and South Korea later this month, with Wiegman claiming other defenders had "won the competition" to feature in her 26-player squad.

"She’s a great person to work with," the Lionesses boss said, elaborating on her decision to omit George from the squad.

"She could be left-back, she could be centre-back. The competitors on her position, and for us she is more at left-back, won the competition at this moment. We’re following her very closely."

George already has two senior England caps under her belt, having made her debut under previous manager, Phil Neville, in 2018. The 26-year-old was called up to the Lionesses last squad in November in place of injured duo Jordan Nobbs and Lauren Hemp, though she didn't feature in England's games against Japan and Norway.

Her omission this time around puts the prospect of her making the cut for Wiegman's 23-player World Cup squad in serious jeopardy, with the Lionesses set to travel to Australia and New Zealand in the summer in the hopes of adding the most sought-after prize in women's football to their trophy cabinet.

However, it's a different story for George's teammates Jess Park and Emily Ramsey, who have both seen their World Cup chances boosted by being named in Wiegman's latest squad. Park, who scored just 79 seconds into her Lionesses debut in November , has made the cut once again while Ramsey, on loan with the Blues from Manchester United, is the only uncapped player to receive a call up this time round.

England, who won the inaugural Arnold Clark Cup last year, will begin their defence of their crown on February 16 with a clash against South Korea at Stadium MK in Milton Keynes, before taking on Italy at Coventry's CBS Arena and Belgium at Bristol City's Ashton Gate. The players will report to St George's Park on Sunday evening and will remain at the base as preparations get underway.

The team at the top of the standings after all three matchdays will claim the Arnold Clark Cup, with the Lionesses bidding to extend their 26-game unbeaten run under Wiegman.

“The first camp of the year is always important to set the right tone for what comes next, especially with such a big opportunity in the summer," the Dutch coach said, looking ahead to the upcoming tournament.

"We are only looking forward now and we have to stay humble and focused on working hard. We know the fans will be with us again and we can’t wait to see them at every stadium.

"We had a positive experience with the Arnold Clark Cup last time. We had three tough matches with different challenges in each one, and we were able to learn a lot from our performances and work on many details which we are aiming to do again.”

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