England boss Wiegman not expecting Arsenal’s Mead to be fit for World Cup | OneFootball

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·28 March 2023

England boss Wiegman not expecting Arsenal’s Mead to be fit for World Cup

Article image:England boss Wiegman not expecting Arsenal’s Mead to be fit for World Cup

England head coach Sarina Wiegman says that she is not expecting Arsenal forward Beth Mead to be fit for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023.

The 27-year-old sustained an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury back in November and she is still a long way away from regaining full fitness.

With the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 set to start on 20 July 2023, Mead faces a huge race against time to be fit for the tournament. When providing an update on Mead’s fitness in an England press conference, head coach Wiegman said that it would be a miracle if the forward is ready for this summer’s tournament.


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“I’ve had a conversation with her, she’s in her rehab and is doing good but the World Cup is actually too early,” Wiegman said.

“What we’ve said is that she is not in our plans now and she’s really got to take the time to make a full recovery. If a miracle happens and she goes so fast, then we will reconsider it but at this moment, I don’t expect that.”

England face Brazil and Australia in the April international window. The Brazil fixture will see the Lionesses participate in their long-awaited battle for the 2023 Women’s Finalissima while the Australia friendly sees England come up against the FIFA Women’s World Cup co-hosts. Wiegman went on to say that she is pleased with her side’s latest challenges.

She said “I’m very happy with these two games, they’re top 10 opponents. Brazil are obviously very good and Australia offer a different style of play, so I’m very happy with these two games, they’re very necessary.

“After April camp, we can have another look to see where we are at and identify what we need to do before we go into the World Cup.”

England’s 2023 Women’s Finalissima fixture against Brazil takes place at Wembley Stadium on Thursday 6 April 2023. The Lionesses will then face Australia in Brentford on Tuesday 11 April 2023.

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