Steph Houghton: Ex-England captain was considered for World Cup spot

England manager Sarina Wiegman says erstwhile skipper Steph Houghton was "in our conversations" contempt being near retired of the World Cup squad.

The lack of elder players Leah Williamson and Fran Kirby owed to wounded had led to calls for Houghton's return.

But the Manchester City defender, who captained England for 8 years, was not named successful the 23-player squad.

"She has been successful our conversations each the clip excessively for the defence," said Wiegman, erstwhile asked if Houghton had been considered.

"With the full method unit we person spoken astir that. I had a speech with her yesterday."

Houghton has 121 caps for England and played successful 5 large tournaments, her past being the 2019 World Cup.

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The most-capped subordinate successful the England squad is right-back Lucy Bronze, 31, who has made 104 appearances for the Lionesses, but she says she does not consciousness immoderate added work due to the fact that of her experience.

"I consciousness similar I'm going into the tourney the aforesaid arsenic immoderate different tournament," she told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"As I've got older I emotion talking to the younger players and helping them out, but I person successful erstwhile tournaments arsenic well.

"There are players going to the tourney with antithetic levels of experience, antithetic knowing of however it feels to spell to tournaments. I'm the astir experienced but it doesn't consciousness immoderate antithetic to me."

The Barcelona defender says the lack of Arsenal centre-back Williamson and Chelsea's Kirby means the squad volition attack this tourney otherwise to Euro 2022.

She added: "Everyone was astir apt expecting Sarina to play the aforesaid XI similar she did successful the Euros but things person changed present that we person players missing who would usually beryllium playing each azygous game. We've got to beryllium capable to accommodate now."

The Lionesses volition besides beryllium without Euro 2022 apical scorer Beth Mead done injury, but Wiegman has galore options successful attack.

They see Manchester City duo Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly, Chelsea's Lauren James and Manchester United striker Alessia Russo - and Bronze is excited.

"All our forwards are ace exciting," she said. "They've got thing to connection successful antithetic positions, successful antithetic combinations - it's an breathtaking squad to beryllium portion of."

Frustration astatine docket delays

Georgia Stanway joined Bayern Munich past summertime aft a determination distant from Manchester City

Wiegman confirmed successful April that England were hoping to play a warm-up lucifer successful the UK earlier flying to Australia.

Initial plans were for the squad to conscionable connected 19 June, but a caller connection - enactment guardant by the European Clubs' Association (ECA) - suggested players should lone beryllium released for planetary work 10 days earlier the tourney begins connected 20 July.

Germany brag Martina Voss-Tecklenburg said connected Wednesday that Bayern Munich had informed her they would not beryllium releasing players until 23 June, contempt an earlier statement to bash truthful connected 20 June.

That could impact England and Bayern midfielder Georgia Stanway, with Wiegman admitting she hopes they tin "negotiate" an earlier merchandise date.

"At this constituent it's hard, but we're trying to get the speech going again," added Wiegman.

The caller proposals enactment guardant by the ECA has besides led to a hold successful England and the Football Association finalising their preparations for the tourney successful Australia and New Zealand.

"The crushed wherefore we can't archer thing [about the warm-up matches] is due to the fact that that has to bash with erstwhile we start," added Wiegman.

"If we commencement connected the 19 June we person capable days to get acceptable for specified a game, if we commencement aboriginal past the players are adjacent longer retired from shot and past you person excessively abbreviated a clip to get acceptable for a fixture.

"Of people that's frustrating, due to the fact that we person each our plans and we thought we were each acceptable and past similar a period ago, each of a abrupt things change.

"I deliberation this is not the clip to bash this. It's a clip to bash that aboriginal and lick it aft this tournament."

There person besides been ongoing conversations with Fifa connected whether captains volition beryllium allowed to deterioration OneLove armbands astatine the World Cup.

"I heard they're inactive successful talks," said Wiegman. "I expect that to beryllium solved earlier the tourney starts, from what I heard - but I don't cognize immoderate much connected that."