United midfielder Ella Toone replaces injured Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze

England manager Sarina Wiegman has recalled Manchester United midfielder Ella Toone to the Lionesses squad for their upcoming World Cup play-off against Greece, as reported by The Guardian and The Independent.

Toone was initially left out of the 23-player squad alongside Chloe Kelly, but she has been handed a late opportunity following a minor injury to Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze.

The right-back has returned to her club for assessment, prompting Wiegman to turn to Toone, who has already joined up with her international teammates in Crete.

Wiegman revealed she was highly impressed by how the United star reacted to the disappointment of being dropped from the original selection.

Wiegman praises Toone’s professional response

Toone, who has scored 24 goals in 69 international appearances, did not let the initial snub get her down and instead set up a training camp in Spain.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the first leg, Wiegman said:

“Yes, very much. I think when I gave her the call, of course that was a hard call. But she took that straight away.”

The England head coach added:

“That answer in the game, also the way she spoke about it, I thought that was really good. And then getting everything ready to go to Spain instead, but go for training there, I think that really impressed me.”

Toone had previously vowed to use the disappointment as fuel to improve after starting in United’s recent Women’s Super League victory over Liverpool.

Tactical balance and the road to Brazil

With Bronze sidelined, Wiegman decided to bring in a midfielder rather than a direct defensive replacement, confident that she has enough cover at the back.

Explaining her tactical decision to the press, Wiegman said:

“I think we have enough defenders for how we want to play tomorrow, we have enough options in the position where Lucy would play. If we look at the balance of the team, then this was the best decision.”

The Lionesses are preparing to face Greece in Heraklion on Friday before hosting the return leg at Leicester’s King Power Stadium next Tuesday.

To reach next summer’s tournament in Brazil, the Lionesses must first overcome Greece and then win another two-legged tie against either Slovakia or Ukraine in December.

Staying patient against defensive opponents

The Greek national team has never reached a major tournament and is expected to adopt a defensive approach to frustrate the European champions.

England defender Esme Morgan insists the squad must remain composed even if they struggle to break down their opponents early in the match.

Recalling a previous qualifying battle against Ukraine, Morgan said:

“We couldn’t seem to break through in the first half… but the messaging at half-time among the players and when Sarina came in to speak to us was just to keep continuing because we were creating opportunities.”

Morgan added that the team must stick to their gameplan, trust in their ability to find gaps, and avoid taking rushed shots from distance.