Sarina Wiegman is concerned about the Lionesses’ short break ahead of the Women’s Nations League
SARINA WIEGMAN admits she is worried about the “close turn” for her players between the World Cup and the Women’s Nations League.
The Lionesses coach was speaking this afternoon after announcing her squad for games against Scotland and the Netherlands this month.
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Keira Walsh and Bethany England, who played for the team during the World Cup, will both be missing with calf and hip injuries.
And Wiegman mentioned that some players only had six days off between the end of the tournament and the start of England’s Women’s Nations League training camp.
These include Arsenal stars Alessia Russio and Lotte Wubben-Moy.
While Wubben-Moy did not take part in the World Cup, Russo played seven games for England during the tournament, including the 1-0 loss to Spain in the final on August 20.
Both are part of Wiegman’s 24-man Women’s Nations League squad
The team will face Pedro Losa’s Scottish side at the Stadium of Light on September 22nd and the Netherlands in Utrecht on September 26th.
Regarding her concerns about the short break for players between competitions, Wiegman said: “I was worried before the World Cup and we knew it was a short turnaround.”
“We really need to network with FIFA and UEFA to improve this.”
“They are coming next week and some players have only had six days off, which is not good for them after such a high pressure competition.”
“In the summer we have big tournaments all the time (at the moment).”
“The urgency to solve the problem and improve it is really high.
“We all know that the challenges have been addressed for some time, but we also know that changes cannot be made overnight.”
“But the conversations continue and we just have to move on and hopefully find a better solution for what we have.”
Star midfielder Walsh will miss the first Women’s Nations League game against Scotland on September 22 due to a “minor calf injury”.
It follows the Barcelona and Lionesses star as he suffered and is recovering from a knee injury during the World Cup in July.
And the Tottenham England striker is currently recovering after undergoing surgery on September 4 to treat her hip problem.
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Lucy Staniforth, Maya Le Tissier and Jess Park were all named to the squad after being placed on Wiegman’s replacement list for the World Cup ahead of competition in Australia and New Zealand.
However, Beth Mead and Fran Kirby were left out as the duo need more game time after returning to club action for Arsenal and Chelsea.
Wiegman added: “Beth (Mead) needs to take the next step to win games and achieve consistency.”
“Fran (Kirby) is really close. She has already played a few friendly matches and done well.”
“Again, it’s a little too early. I’m really looking forward to seeing them play.”
England’s squad update comes 13 days after Wiegman presented her UEFA Women’s Coach of the Year award to world champions Spain.
The team’s triumph was overshadowed by former Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales being criticized for planting an unwanted kiss on striker Jenni Hermoso’s lips.
This month, during an interview with Piers Morgan, he revealed he had quit his role following the row, which saw players from across the sport publicly express solidarity with Hermoso.
The former head of the Spanish Football Federation, who was provisionally suspended by FIFA, will appear in a court in Madrid on Friday.
This follows Hermoso, their national team’s record goalscorer, filing a lawsuit against him.
And Wiegman hopes Spain’s World Cup triumph gets more attention than Rubiales’ situation.
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She added: “We want to put this behind us now and celebrate these players.”
“The players need to be listened to and we need to move on.”
“Women’s football has improved a lot, but there is still a long way to go, not just in Spain but everywhere.”
“We have to try to make the world better for these players.”