It was the news Sarina Wiegman must have been dreading. Millie Bright’s withdrawal from the England team has made the prospect of two must-win Nations League fixtures appear even more daunting.
Emma Hayes had warned this may happen after Bright was forced to sit out two Chelsea games following a flare-up of the knee injury that required surgery before the World Cup.
Bright hurried back from a lay-off to captain her country in the tournament, but there was always a risk that doing so would result in problems further down the line.
‘Her preparation going into the World Cup wasn’t ideal,’ Hayes said. ‘She probably rushed herself back and she’s also come back after the World Cup and quickly into the Chelsea season.
‘Perhaps she needed longer. Her knee is a little bit angry at the minute.’
England boss Sarina Wiegman has seen her plans for must-wins games hit by injury
Niamh Charles (R) is set to start at left back in crunch clash against the Netherlands
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Bright has captained England since Leah Williamson ruptured her ACL in April. With both centre backs now missing, the Lionesses’ defence is looking rather threadbare.
Beyond Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood, who have 116 and 86 caps respectively, there is a lack of experience. This is amplified at centre back. Jess Carter, who has 27 caps, will probably partner Greenwood in the middle. The alternative options are Lotte Wubben-Moy (10 caps), Esme Morgan (five caps) and Maya Le Tissier (two caps).
Niamh Charles (11 caps) seems likely to start at left back. Charles has been in fantastic form for Chelsea but starting in a must-win game against the Netherlands at Wembley would still be a huge test.
Part of the reason England are in this situation is because of Wiegman’s reluctance to rotate. She has become so reliant on her first-choice players that, when they are unavailable, those in reserve do not appear ready to make the step up. Admittedly, there have not been many games in recent months in which Wiegman could have afforded to experiment. But even when there have been in the past, she often chose not to do so.
Le Tissier, in particular, is a player who should have more international caps by now.
Part of the problem is that Wiegman seems to see the defender as a right back, when she is playing as a centre back for Manchester United.
But given Rachel Daly has played two international tournaments at left back after playing as a striker at club level, that is surely a minor inconvenience. Bronze may have one more tournament left in her but she will not go on forever and the lack of a replacement is concerning.
Wiegman has not given any player a debut in 2023 and, with two vital games left, it is unlikely we will see a first cap for any player before the end of the year.
England must beat the Netherlands — preferably by two goals — and Scotland to stand any chance of topping their Nations League group. Doing so would keep their hopes of qualifying for next summer’s Olympics alive. For those who have forgotten how teams qualify for the Games, here is a reminder: England are in League A of the Nations League. The four group winners qualify for the knockout finals.
There will then be one-leg semi-finals, with a draw determining which team is at home, a final and a third-fourth place play-off. The two finalists will qualify alongside hosts France. If France make the final, the third-placed team will take the spot.
So, there is still a long way to go. But England were not expected to struggle this badly at the first hurdle. They could still face a relegation play-off to stay in League A if they finish third — something which seemed unthinkable when the groups were drawn.
These two games will not be easy but the positive for Wiegman is that her attackers are in scintillating form.
Beth Mead is back in the squad and scored twice for Arsenal at the weekend while Lauren James, who missed both games against Belgium with concussion, has been Chelsea’s best player in recent weeks. Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp have been firing for Manchester City, so there are some selection puzzles for Wiegman to ponder.
Given England may need to beat the Netherlands by two goals — due to losing 2-1 in the reverse fixture in September — all-out attack may be the best course of action.
Safia Middleton-Patel has been supported by team-mates at Man United and Wales
United’s building bocks for success
Manchester United’s Lego club received a special gift from a mystery admirer this week. The person in question turned out to be technical director Darren Fletcher.
Young goalkeeper Safia Middleton-Patel shared in September that she had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Lego is often used as a form of therapy for autistic and Middleton-Patel has spoken on social media about how it has helped her on her own journey.
Since sharing her diagnosis this year, the goalkeeper has been well supported by team-mates at United and Wales, with Leah Galton, Rachel Williams and Jess Simpson joining the Lego club at Carrington.
Earlier this week, the four players found a Pac-Man arcade Lego set which had been left for them at the club’s training ground. Galton posted on Instagram: ‘Thanks to our secret Lego admirer, whoever you are!?’ before Middleton-Patel shared that Fletcher was the person behind the gift.
There is much United can do to improve off the pitch but it is the little things that sometimes mean the most to players.
West Ham have talented duo Viviane Asseyi (above) and Riko Ueki but lack strength in depth
Worrying signs for West Ham
Year on year, West Ham seem to be the most frustrating team in the WSL. What usually happens is that they get enough points to be considered ‘safe’ then fall off a cliff after Christmas but survive because others are worse. There is no guarantee that will happen this term.
Rehanne Skinner does not have a weak starting XI — there are a number of talented individuals including Viviane Asseyi and summer signing Riko Ueki. But there is a worrying lack of depth. The Hammers did not have a reserve goalkeeper on their bench in their 3-0 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday and the average age of their substitutes was just 20 years and 177 days.
Bringing in Rick Passmoor as assistant manager in September was a smart move but Skinner needs backing in the January transfer window to strengthen her squad. West Ham may have more individual quality than fellow strugglers Bristol City, but that alone will not guarantee safety.