Miedema boosts Netherlands hopes as France left reeling from Katoto blow

The fourth, and final, Euro 2022 quarter-final at Rotherham on Saturday night was supposed to be dominated by a subplot revolving around two of the most feared strikers of their generation.

Cruel reality dictates only one is expected on the pitch as France attempt to progress beyond the final eight of a European Championship for the first time and the Netherlands endeavour to defend their 2017 title.

If the latter’s hopes have been bolstered by the expectation that Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema will be back at centre-forward after Covid, France must somehow cope without their free-scoring Paris Saint-Germain striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto, who ruptured a cruciate ligament in the group match against Belgium.

It represents a harsh blow for Corinne Diacre’s team but Mark Parsons’ Netherlands also suffered a recent setback when Lieke Martens, the winger that illuminated Euro 2017 with her often audacious skill and adhesive first touch, was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament by a foot injury.

Parsons, like Diacre, is under considerable pressure – and scrutiny. Whereas Diacre polarises opinion in France, the 35-year Englishman is faced with the task of emulating the achievements of his predecessor, Sarina Wiegman, now in charge of England.

No matter that the Surrey-born Parsons – once the Chelsea Women reserve coach – arrived trailing a fine track record from the United States, where he managed Washington Spirit and Portland Thorns. Wiegman set the bar rather high by leading her home country to glory in 2017 and the final of the 2019 World Cup in France.

Parsons frequently jokes that: “Maybe following Sarina wasn’t the cleverest career move” but he is serious when it comes to his belief that the serial tournament