Sarina Wiegman admits it will be tight for Steph Houghton to make Euros squad

England boss Sarina Wiegman has expressed her hope that Steph Houghton will be fit for this summer’s home Euros while emphasising it will be “really tight”.

Houghton, the Lionesses’ captain since 2014, made her return from an Achilles injury with Manchester City in January but subsequently suffered a recurrence and underwent surgery last month.

City boss Gareth Taylor earlier this month said it would be “really tight” in terms of the 33-year-old defender getting to the Euros, and that was echoed on Tuesday by Wiegman as she named another Houghton-less squad ahead of the World Cup qualifiers away against North Macedonia and Northern Ireland next month.

Wiegman told a press conference: “I’ve spoken to her of course. It’s going to be really tight. She’s doing everything she is capable of. Everything that’s in her control she will do to make the Euros, and we’ll see.

“She takes step by step. She’s still in the first period of her rehab, hopefully she proceeds well, and from there we’ll see.

“The competitiveness in this team is really high. She has had a tremendous CV with us, so I hope she’ll make it. But first of all she needs to be on the pitch to start training and then be fit enough to be on the pitch every day to train and recover well. That’s a little farther away.”

Asked how late she would be able to make a decision on Houghton, Wiegman said: “We’ll give her a little more time, because we know she needs that. But with the history she has with this team, the contribution she has had over the years, I would like to give her a little more time.

Everything that's in her control she will do to make the Euros, and we'll see- Sarina Wiegman on Steph Houghton

“But she needs to be fit and playing well, and she’s been out for a