Ella Toone gives thoughts on England's World Cup chances amid injury crisis
England star Ella Toone believes the Lionesses can overcome their injury problems at this summer's World Cup.
It is now less than a month until Toone and her team-mates take to the field in their first game against Haiti. But they will be without star trio Beth Mead, Fran Kirby and captain Leah Williamson, who all missed out on the squad due to injury.
The Lionesses will need the likes of Toone and her close friend Alessia Russo to step up after both played the role of super-subs in the run to Euros glory last summer. Sarina Wiegman's squad is much changed since that historic final win over Germany, with Ellen White and Jill Scott having also retired, while Nikita Parris and Demi Stokes have dropped out of contention.
England are still one of the in-form teams in the world and have only lost since Wiegman took charge in 2021, against Australia back in April. And Toone believes the squad will still have a strong level of togetherness despite the changes and is confident they can overcome the challenge of missing key players.
"The team that won the Euros will always have that togetherness," Toone told The Sunday Times. "That we’ve done something and achieved something together. I don’t think we ever get sick and tired of each other.
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"It’s sad about the players who got injured and we never want to see that for our team-mates or anyone in football.
"But we (England) have to look forward and look at the squad that we’ve got now, and we’ve got some amazing talent."
Although she was primarily used from the bench at the Euros last summer, Toone played a huge part in the Lionesses becoming European Champions, scoring a dramatic equaliser against Spain in the quarter-final and opening the scoring in the final against Germany at Wembley. But with Kirby unable to travel Down Under, Toone is now Wiegman's first choice in the number ten position for the tournament.
Ella Toone celebrates after scoring in the Euro 2022 final against Germany (The FA via Getty Images)Toone is also fresh from a superb season at club level with Man Utd, although she has suffered a recent blow with the news that close friend Russo will leave the club next week. Her United team-mate Mary Earps, who will also be one of Wiegman's key players in Australia, agreed that the Lionesses still had the quality in the 23 to go deep in the competition.
"The squad looks totally different and it’s a totally different challenge," Earps also told The Sunday Times.
"But I also think we’re an exceptionally talented group and hopefully the experience from the summer will hold us in good stead."
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