England boss Sarina Wiegman has shed some light on her decision to omit Tottenham striker Beth England from her latest Lionesses squad.
England has been in scintillating form since leaving Chelsea for Brisbane Road in January, notching five goals in just six WSL appearances for Spurs. The 28-year-old cited a desire for more game time ahead of this summer's World Cup as one of the reasons behind her move, having earned her most recent international call-up last summer when she was an unused substitute for the entirety of the EUROs.
However, despite her impressive domestic form, Wiegman hasn't included England in her squad for the Lionesses' upcoming internationals with Brazil and Australia. And, in a press conference on Tuesday, the Dutchwoman cited fierce competition for places as the reason for England's omission.
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"We chose to select less centre-forwards," Wiegman said. "The competition in that position is so high so I just chose these two [Rachel Daly and Alessia Russo] and kept it as that."
With only a few months to go before the World Cup gets underway in Australia and New Zealand, Wiegman will use this international window to consolidate which 23 players will be on the plane as England bid to add the most coveted prize in football to their EURO 2022 trophy.
The Lionesses will ramp up their preparations for this summer's showpiece tournament when they host Brazil in the inaugural Women's Finalissima at a sold-out Wembley on April 6 before taking on Australia at Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium on April 11.
Another player who won't be featuring for England in those clashes is Chelsea's Fran Kirby, who has been sidelined since February with a knee problem. Despite being one of the Lionesses' most talented players, Wiegman admitted the midfielder could be facing a race against time to be fit for this summer's tournament.
"I am concerned. I want to keep this opportunity open. Hopefully, she gets fit, gets on the pitch again and gets playing," Wiegman said.
"You need to show form and fitness. We have less time now [than the home Euros]. It's a little concern, but also we just need to see how she progresses."
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