Steph Houghton: World Cup selection unlikely but door 'not shut' says England boss Wiegman

Steph Houghton was portion of the Great Britain squad for the Olympic Games successful 2021

Sarina Wiegman says erstwhile skipper Steph Houghton's chances of going to the World Cup with England are "not that high" but she volition "never adjacent the door" connected selection.

The defender is yet to play nether Wiegman and was replaced arsenic skipper by Arsenal's Leah Williamson past summer.

"It is hard due to the fact that she has done truthful overmuch for the game," said Wiegman.

"Everyone trains truthful hard and truthful does she. She wants of people to travel back. But we had immoderate much players I truly had to disappoint with the choices I made.

"That ever makes it hard but what I effort to bash is pass it and springiness immoderate discourse astir my choices."

Earlier this week Manchester City's Houghton said dealing with omission from the England squad had been "mentally tough".

She captained England for 8 years and told BBC Radio 5 Live she wanted "closure connected the situation".

"I thought I was astir apt successful the champion presumption implicit March and April, but sometimes nary substance what you do, you're not going to delight someone," she added.

Wiegman has galore options successful defence for England up of this year's tournament, which runs 20 July - 20 August successful Australia and New Zealand, with skipper Williamson and Chelsea's Millie Bright the first-choice pairing astatine centre-back.

Manchester City's Alex Greenwood, Arsenal's Lotte Wubben-Moy, Chelsea's Jess Carter and Manchester United's Maya Le Tissier were besides named successful this month's squad.

"It's hard. At the infinitesimal [Houghton's] successful a hard presumption due to the fact that I don't privation to instrumentality retired the players who are successful that presumption due to the fact that they're doing truly well," added Wiegman.

"So the chances are not that precocious [for Houghton to spell to the World Cup], but I volition ne'er adjacent the doorway due to the fact that erstwhile you are successful planetary shot you privation everyone to beryllium available.

"But astatine this moment, I marque different choices."

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