The in-form Arsenal striker Alessia Russo has been forced to withdraw from the England squad because of injury before their Women’s Nations League fixture away against Belgium on Tuesday.
In her place the Brighton striker Michelle Agyemang, on loan from Arsenal, has been added to the squad, the 19-year-old receiving a senior call-up for the first time.
Russo has returned to Arsenal for further assessment on an injury sustained during the 5-0 victory against Belgium at Ashton Gate on Friday. The precise nature of the striker’s injury has not been disclosed but she did appear to experience pain in her ankle after a challenge in which she was caught on the lower leg, shortly before she was substituted in the 73rd minute and replaced by Nikita Parris.
The injury will be a worry for Arsenal, too, with Russo having been in some of the best form of her career. She has scored 14 times in her past 22 appearances for club and country combined and hit the woodwork twice in a lively display for the Lionesses on Friday. Arsenal are second in the Women’s Super League, six points behind the leaders Chelsea, with four matches remaining this season.
In her absence, a 24-player England squad left St George’s Park on Sunday to travel to Leuven for the second portion of the double-header against the Red Flames on Tuesday. England are also without Chloe Kelly, who returned to Arsenal for treatment on a foot injury on Friday.
Agyemang scored for England Under-19s on Saturday against Austria, as part of the squad that has qualified for the Women’s Under-19 European Championship in Poland this summer with a game to spare. She was also on the scoresheet twice for England’s Under-23s against Germany.
For Brighton she has scored three times in all competitions this season while on loan from Arsenal, who have long-held hopes she could be a future key player for the England seniors.
Sarina Wiegman’s team are top of their Women’s Nations League group with seven points from their first three games, holding a one-point advantage over second-placed Spain, the world champions, against whom they enjoyed a 1-0 victory at Wembley in February.
After the meeting with Belgium on Tuesday, England host Portugal on 30 May before a trip to face Spain on 3 June, after which the Lionesses’ focus will turn fully to the European Championship in Switzerland in July.
