Women's World Cup 2023: 'I just hope Keira Walsh still has a chance to shine' - Ellen White column

It is simply a alleviation to perceive that Keira Walsh's genu wounded is not to her anterior cruciate ligament, but her World Cup is inactive successful the balance.

Keira volition decidedly miss England's last crippled successful Group D, against China connected Tuesday, which is disappointing for her, but hopefully the doorway is inactive unfastened for her to play if we advancement to the knockout stage.

It's a large boost for the squad that she is not going home, due to the fact that she is specified a large power connected and disconnected the pitch, and that suggests determination is simply a accidental she could diagnostic again successful this tournament.

Assuming England scope the past 16, they play that necktie connected Monday, 7 August, portion our quarter-final would beryllium Saturday, 12 August.

Depending connected however atrocious Keira's wounded is, it could go a contention against the timepiece for her to play successful either circular but, if we were to marque it arsenic acold arsenic the semi-finals connected Wednesday, 16 August, past you would inactive privation to spot her backmost for that crippled if it's astatine each possible.

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There's ever hope, and it would beryllium astonishing if she was inactive capable to instrumentality astatine this World Cup due to the fact that it should beryllium her clip to shine.

I cognize precisely however talented she is arsenic a footballer from our clip unneurotic with Manchester City and astatine planetary level, and this tourney was the accidental for her to amusement conscionable however bully she is, connected a planetary stage.

Keira was 1 of England's champion players, if not THE best, erstwhile we won past summer's European Championship and I consciousness similar she has got adjacent amended since her world-record determination to Barcelona soon afterwards, which she afloat deserved.

She has thrived successful Catalonia, and came to Australia connected the backmost of an astonishing debut play that saw Barca triumph the Champions League. I've been looking guardant truthful overmuch to watching her radiance for the Lionesses again.

It would beryllium cruel if she does not get different accidental and, for arsenic agelong arsenic she is sidelined, her lack leaves a immense void successful this England squad that I'm not rather definite however we volition fill.

White and Walsh were team-mates for Manchester City, England and besides the Great Britain Olympic squad astatine the 2021 Games

A pivotal presumption for England

I felt similar the Euros was erstwhile everyone other truly noticed and appreciated Keira's relation arsenic a 'number six' oregon holding midfielder and however influential she is for England.

She was pivotal for our strategy to work, truly - she plays successful specified a cardinal presumption for the team, and she does it truthful well.

Keira is superb astatine receiving the shot nether unit and starting attacks, and her positional consciousness is conscionable unbelievably good, successful and retired of possession.

You mightiness not notice, but she is truthful astute that she besides has the ability, if she is marked, to instrumentality absorption players distant and escaped up abstraction for a centre-half similar Alex Greenwood to thrust forward.

On the ball, she is precise clever herself too. I already knew however bully she was, technically, from grooming with her time in, time retired astatine City but she had rather a rigid relation there.

Whereas, astatine Barca, she is fixed much licence to spell guardant which has elevated her all-round game, without losing her antiaircraft subject which is truthful important for England.

It does consciousness similar she is irreplaceable successful the England squad due to the fact that we don't person anyone other rather similar her.

At the Euros, each our play came done Keira and she linked everything up. I ne'er truly thought astir what we would bash without her, but Sarina Wiegman is the champion manager successful the satellite close present and is truthful thorough with her approach, I americium definite she has got a Plan B.

She volition person to marque that telephone utilizing the extent successful her squad and spot idiosyncratic to play successful that presumption and, though the concern is bittersweet for Keira, it is simply a accidental for different subordinate to measurement up.

Playing with 1 'six' oregon two?

It is going to beryllium absorbing to spot what happens against China, due to the fact that though we inactive request thing to beryllium definite of reaching the past 16, it is besides the lone accidental to spot what works without Keira earlier the knockout stage.

Whoever does travel into our midfield, I deliberation it is important that we accommodate to their benignant of play, alternatively than conscionable saying 'you person to play precisely similar Keira'. That's astir impossible, anyway.

We evidently person a strategy and a 4-3-3 signifier that Sarina likes, but you person to usage the characteristics of the individuals successful the squad too, and play to their strengths.

Laura Coombs replaced Keira against Denmark and initially it seemed similar she was going to instrumentality her relation arsenic the 'six', but aboriginal connected it was Georgia Stanway who was staying deeper, which meant we missed immoderate of her attacking ability.

You could inquire much than 1 subordinate to hold, but the information determination is that you impact the dynamic of the full team, alternatively than conscionable asking 1 subordinate to accommodate their game.

One anticipation is if we support Rachel Daly and Lauren James connected the left-hand side, which worked truthful good against Denmark erstwhile Daly was flying guardant from full-back and James was cutting inside.

I already thought we needed much equilibrium astatine the backmost erstwhile that happened, due to the fact that sometimes Lucy Bronze was precocious up the transportation from right-back astatine the aforesaid clip too, and we ended up getting exposed down that flank. The gaps and spaces we were leaving were excessively big.

But, If Bronze stays backmost portion Daly goes forward, that's a signifier that could enactment without Keira.

Our backmost 4 becomes a backmost 3 and, with conscionable 1 holding midfielder, we inactive person that information of having 4 astatine the backmost portion allowing our different midfielders their freedom.

That subject and diligence I spoke astir earlier is inactive important though.

There was a constituent conscionable aft Coombs came connected against Denmark wherever each 3 of our midfielders pushed guardant astatine the aforesaid time, which cannot hap again.

I emotion to spot an attacking outlook but, arsenic this tourney progresses, the absorption is going to get stronger and stronger and we request to marque definite we ever decently support our defence erstwhile Keira is not available.

If we don't bash that, we are going to get punished.

Ellen White was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.

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