06 August 2023 , 01:20
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Keira Walsh has returned to full training to hand England a major fitness boost ahead of the World Cup knockout stage.
Walsh, 26, was stretchered off during the 1-0 win over Denmark in Sydney, England's second game at the tournament, just over a week ago. Although a scan revealed she had not suffered ACL damage, fears remained the Lionesses would have to cope without her for the rest of the finals.
But ahead of Monday's round of 16 clash with Nigeria, Walsh has returned to full training at the team base camp, in welcome news for manager Sarina Wiegman. Previously the midfielder was on an individual programme to regain fitness, but the England camp confirmed on Sunday that all 23 players in the squad had taken part in full training.
A post from the official Lionesses twitter account confirmed that "all 23 players are out for training today at Central Coast Stadium", including Walsh. She is expected to travel with the team to Brisbane later today where manager Wiegman will give a press conference.
When Walsh initially left the pitch against Denmark, there were major fears she had suffered a serious injury. But thankfully this has not proven to be the case and the return to training suggests she could feature at some stage against Nigeria.
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If that proves too early the quarter-final, should England get there, against either Jamaica or Colombia appears a realistic target. The Barcelona star is one of the European Champions' most important players and was named in the UEFA Team of the Tournament at Euro 2022.
Walsh partnered Georgia Stanway in midfield for England's opening two matches at the tournament. But the injury against Denmark meant she missed the 6-1 win over China, where Katie Zelem came into the engine room.
The Man Utd captain impressed in the win, but her position could be under threat if Walsh is available to start in Brisbane. However, with only one full training session under her belt, starting from the bench appears more likely for the England No.4.
Walsh moved for a world record transfer fee when she left Man City to join Barcelona following the Lionesses' successful run at Euro 2022 last summer. She has since won both Liga F and the UEFA Women's Champions League after a dramatic 3-2 win over Wolfsburg in the final.
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