Toone comes into England squad as Bronze withdraws

What the report says

England midfielder Ella Toone has been added to Sarina Wiegman’s squad for this month’s Women’s World Cup play-off matches against Greece, in a late change to the Lionesses’ plans. The Manchester United player had initially been left out, alongside Arsenal winger Chloe Kelly, after Wiegman said the pair had not recently shown their best form. Toone has since rejoined the squad for the two-legged tie.

The BBC reports that Toone has made 69 senior appearances for England and scored 24 goals, with major tournament wins at Euro 2022 and Euro 2025 and a start in the 2023 World Cup final against Spain. Her recall follows a difficult week after the original omission, which she described as upsetting.

Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze has withdrawn from the squad and will return to her club to deal with a minor injury picked up in domestic action against West Ham. England arrived in Crete on Wednesday to prepare for the first leg in Heraklion, with the return match set for Leicester next Tuesday. The winners will then move into another qualifying play-off stage for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. BBC Sport’s report places the changes in the context of England’s bid to keep their World Cup qualification hopes alive.