Beth Mead is back in the England squad for the first time since November 2022 as she continues her comeback from a knee injury.
“That was a very nice phone call, she was very happy,” Sarina Wiegman said of Mead’s return. “We’ve had phone calls all the time, since September, and October too, because she was training and getting some minutes, but I wanted to see more. Her health now is really good, she can just go. We hope she keeps improving but she showed enough for me to bring her in.”
The England forward ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament playing in Arsenal’s 3-2 defeat by Manchester United 367 days ago and the injury ruled her out of the World Cup.
The 28-year-old has been named in Wiegman’s 23-player squad for England’s crucial final Nations League group fixtures against the Netherlands and Scotland. The Manchester City goalkeeper Khiara Keating and the midfielder Grace Clinton, on loan at Tottenham from Manchester United, have retained their places, while the goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck misses out.
Mead returned for Arsenal on 15 October, coming on in the 88th minute to inspire the team to come from behind against Aston Villa and earn a 2-1 win, providing the assist for Alessia Russo’s winner in injury time.
“She is a character who brings positive energy on and off pitch,” Wiegman said. “Her experience, the way she plays, she is different to other players on the wing. We expect on and off pitch it gives us extra energy.”
The Lionesses must win both games, at Wembley on Friday 1 December and Hampden Park the following Tuesday, and hope Belgium drop points to ensure they top the group and progress to the finals of the tournament. They must finish as one of the top two nations in the competition to guarantee a place for Team GB at the Paris Olympics next year.
England suffered a 3-2 defeat to Belgium in their last Nations League outing and sit third in League A Group 1, behind the Netherlands and Belgium. Wiegman said England’s approach “will not change”.
“The last result was not a reflection of us,” she said. “Now we are in a situation where we need wins. But our approach will not change, we will refuel, the process we do will not be a lot different. We just need to do better in moments in the game. We just have to be aware on the counterattack too.”
Wiegman said she had spoken to Roebuck, who is effectively third choice at City behind Keating and Sandy MacIver, about omitting her. “I had to give her the hard message that we didn’t pick her for now. Of course it’s hard. She needs to work hard and try to find opportunities to play. In the short term that’s probably not going to happen.”
Speaking for the first time since it was revealed that Chelsea’s manager, Emma Hayes, will take charge of the USA women’s national team at the end of the season, Wiegman said: “She’s done a tremendous job [at Chelsea]. It’s incredible the results she’s had over a decade. I congratulated her on the new job, it’s great for her and overall great for the women’s game.”
