Women's World Cup: Lionesses duo reap reward for 'brave' January moves

Beth Mead's exclusion from England's Women's World Cup squad was a disappointment but not a astonishment - alternatively determination was reward for 2 players who made bold moves successful January.

All eyes alternatively were connected the inclusion of striker Bethany England, who made a British-record move to relegation-threatened Tottenham from Chelsea successful January - and has grabbed her opportunity.

Midfielder Jordan Nobbs was besides a invited show connected the squad database with her determination to permission Arsenal aft 12 years to join Aston Villa besides paying off.

Both near top-three clubs - who won silverware - successful hunt of regular crippled clip to boost their chances of making the 23-player squad and they volition present alert retired to Australia for the tournament, starting connected 20 July.

• Wiegman names Lionesses World Cup squad

'A fairytale aft horrendous heartbreak'

Jordan Nobbs helped Aston Villa finished 5th successful the WSL - the club's highest ever league position

Striker England has not played for the Lionesses since September 2022, but her 12 goals successful arsenic galore Women's Super League games was hard for Wiegman to ignore.

Playing back-up to superstar Sam Kerr astatine Chelsea - though inactive scoring an awesome 74 goals successful 164 appearances - meant the guardant had not built "enough credit" before, said Wiegman.

The January power did the instrumentality and England, who turns 29 connected Saturday, has yet been capable to amusement her prime connected a accordant basis, finishing the play arsenic England's second-highest apical scorer successful the WSL.

Nobbs' planetary journey, meanwhile, has been 1 of immense potential, but riddled with injuries.

The 30-year-old has earned 71 England caps since 2013, but injuries led to absences astatine the 2019 World Cup, Euro 2022 and the Olympic Games successful 2021 with Great Britain.

"It's a fairytale for Jordan," grounds goalscorer Ellen White told BBC Radio 5 Live. "She's had immoderate horrendous heartbreak with genu injuries, missing retired connected 3 large tournaments.

"But she made the biggest determination astir apt of her beingness to permission Arsenal to spell to Aston Villa to get crippled clip and unit her mode into the England squad. She brings a batch of experience."

Ex-Lionesses goalkeeper Karen Bardsley said it was "brave" for Nobbs and England to determination distant from clubs wherever they had been truthful comfy and combat their mode into Wiegman's squad."Several players person benefitted from taking that brave step," said Bardsley.

"It's the value of connection from Wiegman, fundamentally saying, 'look, you've not been connected our radar due to the fact that you've not had capable minutes, spell and beryllium to america what you tin do'.

"The likes of England and Nobbs person seized those moments and person had immense impacts successful teams that possibly would person struggled without them."

Le Tissier overlooked for versatility

Maya Le Tissier joined Manchester United from Brighton past summer

Elsewhere, Manchester United centre-back Maya Le Tissier was the biggest astonishment omission.

The 21-year-old had an outstanding debut play for United aft leaving Brighton successful the summer, playing successful each lucifer for the nine arsenic they finished WSL and FA Cup runners-up.

Wiegman admitted it was 1 of the hardest decisions to permission her out, having named her successful the 2 astir caller squads.

Perhaps Le Tissier has been indirectly impacted by Leah Williamson's ACL injury, forcing a reshuffle successful antiaircraft positions which is apt to spot Alex Greenwood determination crossed from left-back to centre-back.

That means determination is simply a left-back void that needs filling and it seems Wiegman has opted for defenders who person precocious played successful some full-back positions to supply cover.

Le Tissier has played right-back earlier but lone featured astatine centre-back for United this season, portion players that person been selected - Esme Morgan, Niamh Charles and Jess Carter - person regularly switched betwixt antiaircraft roles, giving them an advantage.

United winger Nikita Parris is different subordinate unfortunate to miss out, having finished the play successful beardown form, but Wiegman has overlooked the 29-year-old's acquisition successful favour of the youthful Katie Robinson.

Parris had go progressively retired of favour owed to the emergence of Robinson, 20, and 21-year-old Everton loanee Jess Park - who is connected the standby database - but she had dragged her mode backmost successful contention.

Nine goals and 1 assistance successful 27 games this play is simply a decent tally, but Parris yet misses retired due to the fact that others person excelled successful her presumption and it is an country wherever England person existent depth.

'England are 1 of the favourites'

Millie Bright (left) volition skipper England astatine the World Cup with regular skipper Leah Williamson (right) retired with an ACL injury

Injuries to cardinal players Williamson, Beth Mead and Fran Kirby, arsenic good arsenic Ellen White's retirement, means 4 of the unchanged Euro 2022 starting XI volition beryllium absent successful Australia.

"If you instrumentality Mead, Williamson and Kirby retired of immoderate squad, that volition wounded them," erstwhile England defender Lindsay Johnson told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"But determination are tons of squads going into this World Cup - Germany, the United States - who are missing large players due to the fact that of injuries. This is football, it happens. We're 1 of the favourites."

Several of England's "super-subs" astatine Euro 2022 are present starters - Chloe Kelly, Alessia Russo and Ella Toone - but Wiegman's enactment includes players susceptible of making an interaction disconnected the seat too.

WSL Golden Boot victor Rachel Daly provides stiff contention for Russo up front, on with Tottenham's England.

Nobbs is besides a beardown replacement for playmaker Toone, portion Chelsea's Lauren James has been described arsenic a video crippled "cheat code".

England's spot intelligibly lies successful their attack, but injuries person near them a small abbreviated connected experience, astir notably successful defence.

Aside from regular starters Lucy Bronze, Millie Bright and Greenwood, the different 4 players person conscionable a combined 37 caps betwixt them - and lone Chelsea's Carter has made much than 10 appearances.

"Losing that acquisition is astir apt 1 of Wiegman's biggest challenges," said Bardsley.

"She's got Bright and Bronze, but adjacent immoderate of the much experienced players successful presumption of property - the likes of midfielder Laura Coombs, this is going to beryllium her archetypal tournament."