Toone wins Wiegman recall after Greece snub — SkimNews
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- Ella Toone was left out of England's squad for the World Cup play-off games against Greece after struggling for form at the start of the season with Manchester United.
- Sarina Wiegman challenged Toone to respond — and Toone answered by training in Spain rather than relaxing in Marbella, earning a recall to the squad during this international break.
- England's midfield is facing its deepest competition in years: 20-year-old Lexi Potter at Chelsea, 18-year-old Erica Meg Parkinson (a regular NWSL starter), Lucia Kendall, and WSL winners Laura Blinkilde Brown and Grace Clinton at Manchester City are all pushing for spots.
- Wiegman said big games "aren't the time for rotation," while signalling she wants her trusted lieutenants — including the two-time Euros winner Toone — with her for one final campaign at next summer's Brazil World Cup before ending her England tenure.
Why it matters: For Toone, the recall shows Wiegman rewards professionalism over status — but the 18- and 20-year-olds pressing for midfield spots mean the established post-Kirby trio of Toone, Keira Walsh, and Georgia Stanway face genuine selection pressure for the first time. With Wiegman's tenure ending after Brazil, how she handles this deeper squad in her final window will shape England's World Cup XI.
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