Wiegman confirms goalkeeper Earps to captain England against The Netherlands | OneFootball

England head coach Sarina Wiegman says that goalkeeper Mary Earps will captain the team against The Netherlands.

The Lionesses face the Dutch at Wembley Stadium in a ‘must-win’ UEFA Women’s Nations League fixture on Friday night.

England go into the match without the services of captain Millie Bright who pulled out of the squad ahead of camp with an ongoing knee injury. When speaking in the pre-match press conference, England head coach Wiegman said that she was prepared for losing a key player whilst confirming that goalkeeper Earps will pick up the captain’s armband in Bright’s absence.

“Of course, she wasn’t available for Chelsea before camp,” Wiegman said. “We thought she would make it but she didn’t.

“We always know our next step, we talk about it and watch the players week in, week out. We always plan for scenarios if a player is unavailable. When a situation occurs, we make a decision and move on.

“Mary will captain the team tomorrow.”

England must defeat both The Netherlands and Scotland in the current international window if they are to have any chance of reaching the UEFA Women’s Nations League semi-finals. Wiegman is not surprised by the level of competition in England’s group and says that the Lionesses are keen to taste success again.

She said “We went into the Nations League knowing that the game is growing and that the teams are getting better. Teams have always wanted to beat England but now, that is even more because we have done so well.

“If you look at the games, I don’t think we’ve played really poor but in moments, we didn’t get it over the line and we’ve had some losses.

“We want to do better but that’s sport; in football and in life, you have ups and downs. We want to reach the highs again and that’s what we are going to try and do tomorrow.”

The Netherlands defeated England 2-1 in the reverse fixture in Utrecht back in September. Wiegman says that the Dutch will adopt a similar style of play at Wembley and she knows exactly what to expect.

She said “They will try to adapt a little bit but they won’t change their style of play because it has been very recognisable and clear how they play.”

England’s UEFA Women’s Nations League fixture against The Netherlands is scheduled to kick-off at 7.45pm on Friday evening. Tickets remain on-sale and can be purchased by clicking here.