The Chelsea midfielder Fran Kirby has returned to the England squad for the two Women’s Nations League matches against Belgium after recovering from injury.
The 30-year-old had knee surgery in May and missed the World Cup but she started her first game for Chelsea in eight months on Saturday, impressing in a victory over West Ham. Keira Walsh is also back in the squad after an injury layoff.
The Arsenal forward Beth Mead misses out despite making her first appearance on Sunday for her club since she sustained a knee injury last November, coming off the bench and setting up the winner in a 2-1 victory against Aston Villa.
Sarina Wiegman said Mead was “not close” and “has to get that consistency back” in order for her to be considered after a lengthy absence. “She has had an injury for nine months,” the England coach said. “She comes out of recovery, now building training sessions and playing minutes and was on the pitch for about 15 minutes [at the weekend] … consistency means performance but she also has to do with build and of course getting fitter and staying healthy.”
There were two new call-ups for the senior squad: midfielder Grace Clinton and goalkeeper Khiara Keating. The two players make the step up from the England Under-23 squad after their impressive starts to the new Women’s Super League season.
“Yes, [their development] goes fast but they have shown good performances,” said Wiegman. “I want to see how they relate to the other players in the squad and for them to show what they can do. They have performed really well. We saw them also in the U23s. Now at the highest level they have shown performances. It’s exciting for them and good to see for us too.”
Tottenham’s Clinton, on loan from Manchester United, scored a stunning goal in Sunday’s 3-1 win at Brighton, while Manchester City goalkeeper Keating has taken the No 1 spot from Lionesses teammate Ellie Roebuck this season.
England face Belgium on Friday 27 October at Leicester City before travelling to Leuven to face the Red Flames four days later. They will be keen to pick up six points after losing their last game against the Netherlands. “The group is wide open, so every game is crucial,” Wiegman said.
“The squad have shown their ability to respond to setbacks and I’m sure this will be no different. We look forward to meeting up at St George’s Park and putting in the time to make sure we’re fully prepared and ready to go twice in quick succession.
“Again we feel very fortunate to be playing in front of a sellout crowd. The support we are receiving from all corners of the country is amazing, it isn’t something we’ll ever take for granted and it really gives us that extra lift. Hopefully we can give them another night to remember.”
