Lauren Hemp and Ella Toone have been excluded from the England squad for the upcoming friendlies against the USA and Switzerland, with Hemp having recently undergone knee surgery.
Manchester City confirmed that Hemp will "return to the City Football Academy to work closely with the club's medical team on her rehabilitation" following a successful surgery. The winger has been performing exceptionally well this season, creating 26 chances in seven WSL games, making her absence a significant loss for Sarina Wiegman and Gareth Taylor.
Marc Skinner, Manchester United's head coach, revealed that Toone, who had started 96 consecutive WSL matches prior to Sunday, sustained an injury during training last week. "She'll miss the international window, where we'll continue to assess her, and then we'll determine if she's ready for the three games after that, but I can only provide updates as we progress," he stated.
Niamh Charles, Lauren James, and Lucy Parker join Hemp and Toone on the England injury list. Meanwhile, Leicester's Ruby Mace, a versatile player who can play as a defender or midfielder, and Manchester City's Laura Blindkilde Brown have received their first senior international call-ups as part of Wiegman's 24-player squad for the friendlies.
England will face the Emma Hayes-led USA on November 30th before hosting Euro 2025 hosts Switzerland at Bramall Lane on the following Tuesday, marking their final fixtures of 2024. Hayes is bringing 15 of the 22-player squad that won Olympic gold in July but will be without the influential front three of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson, who are dealing with nagging injuries.
Wiegman commented: "As we continue our preparations, we aim to test ourselves against the very best, which is why we have chosen the USA and Switzerland. These two opponents will challenge us in different ways this window, precisely what we desire." She added, "The USA need no introduction, and playing them at Wembley Stadium in front of a packed home crowd again will be very special. Under Emma, they've reached an exceptionally high level."
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