Wiegman ‘really close’ to knowing England team for Euro 2022 opener

Sarina Wiegman has said she is “really close” to knowing her XI for England’s Euros opener against Austria next Wednesday, as she prepares for Thursday’s final pre-tournament friendly against Switzerland.

Ellen White is back training with the squad after Covid but Lucy Bronze will miss the match in Zurich after feeling unwell. The Football Association said the right-back was returning to England “as a precautionary measure to aid her recovery” but had tested negative for Covid and would be monitored.

“We’re close but it’s hard,” Wiegman said of the starting lineup. “And, even though we’re close, you still have the opportunities to change it a little bit, because the level is so high and it’s so close [between the players] that we have many options.”

The biggest questions are around who will start at No 10, with Fran Kirby, Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone in contention, which of Demi Stokes and Rachel Daly will play at left-back and who will start at centre-forward or is back-up to White should she not be ready after a week out.

“We watch players every day, of course we talk to the players every day,” Wiegman said.

Asked whether Arsenal’s Beth Mead could be deployed as a No 9, after England’s top scorer under Wiegman drifted in from the wing to great effect against the Netherlands last Friday, Wiegman replied with a smile: “That’s a very good question.”

“She has played as a 9,” Wiegman said. “With us, she hasn’t played as a 9 – we took other options with that. Maybe we have it in mind. We haven’t tried it yet because she played at the side [wide] a lot.”

Wiegman highlighted the promising return of Chloe Kelly after her long-term ACL injury – the Manchester City forward made her first England appearance in over a year