Sarina Wiegman is “very hopeful” of being on the touchline for England’s Euro 2022 quarter-final against Spain and feels well enough to return after her bout of Covid-19.
Wiegman tested positive on Friday and was forced to communicate with her technical staff remotely during the 5-0 win over Northern Ireland, which saw assistant Arjan Veurink taking charge.
The England head coach has been tested daily while watching training from afar to remain involved in preparations for Wednesday's meeting with pre-tournament favourites Spain.
Wiegman will be able to resume her duties if she produces a negative test before the last-eight clash at the Amex Stadium. Hannah Hampton, England's third-choice goalkeeper, also tested positive on Tuesday.
“I'm good, I’m feeling well. I’m actually ready to go but still have to wait,” Wiegman said. “I'm very hopeful but we'll see what happens. We know if I can't be there, I'll be around in another way."
Wiegman has earned a reputation for his meticulous planning and was ready for the possibility that she would have to miss games due to a positive test or for a wider outbreak within the squad.
“Of course we were aware [of Covid], during our preparitons which started last year, we've always said we don't know how things develop. We were really careful but we're trying to stay in our bubble, do the right things,” she said.
“You hope it doesn't happen but we have spoken about it, we've experienced it for two and a half years. It's not new, we know what we have to do - mostly stay calm with the [players] who can play and continue what we're doing.
“It’s not the worst nightmare, it’s just the situation we have to deal with. We have set everything in place. We have practised one moment that I wasn’t around but now I am around, still doing my job. It looks like I’m further away but I’m actually really close. It’s very unfortunate, you don’t want this - nobody ever wanted Covid.”
Aside from Hampton, Wiegman and her staff will have a full squad to pick from after they came through Friday’s win at St Mary’s unscathed.
England’s faultless group stage - with three wins, a record 14 goals scored and none conceded - has only raised expectations. Kenny Shiels, the Northern Ireland head coach, claimed after his side’s 5-0 defeat that anything except victory in the Wembley final will represent failure for Wiegman’s side.
“You talk about pressure all the time, we talk about football,” she said, when asked whether the knockouts will bring an added layer of pressure.
“We try to play football, play at our best, use our strengths. It’s a knockout stage but that counts for the opponents too. What’s our plan? What’s our task? We try to work as hard as we can and hopefully we become successful.”
