England boss Sarina Wiegman says Leah Williamson is fit for the game on Saturday. The Lionesses are getting ready to play Iceland in a World Cup qualifier that matters quite a bit for the group standings. But even though she is fit, nobody knows if she will actually play.
The Arsenal defender has had a nightmare with injuries lately. She missed the 1-0 win over Spain on Tuesday night at Wembley. She had to sit and watch her teammates beat the world champions from the sidelines. It was a good result for the team but frustrating for the captain I bet.
Wiegman confirmed that Williamson is going to train with the rest of the squad. That is a good sign for the fans. But the manager would not say if she is starting against Iceland. She is being very careful with her star player after everything that has happened this season.
A Long List of Injury Setbacks
It has been a really hard year for the England captain. Her luck has been bad since the Euros ended. She had a knee problem that stopped her from playing for Arsenal until the middle of December. That is a long time to be out of action. And it didn’t stop there for her.
In January she got a calf strain. That kept her out for about a month. Just when she was getting her rhythm back her body let her down again. Most recently it was a hamstring injury. That one kept her out for over four weeks. You can see why the staff are worried about rushing her back.
According to a report from Goal.com, Wiegman put her in the squad anyway. She had started training with Arsenal again before the call-up. But she hadn’t played a real game yet. It is a bit of a gamble to bring someone in who hasn’t had minutes on the pitch.
The manager knows she needs her leader. But she also knows that another injury could end her season for good. It is a tough balance for any coach to find. Especially when you have a big game like Iceland coming up on the schedule.
The Defensive Performance Against Spain
The game against Spain showed that England can cope without her. Lotte Wubben-Moy and Lucy Bronze played in the middle of the defense. They did a great job against some of the best attackers in the world. Keeping a clean sheet against Spain is something to be proud of.
Wubben-Moy has been playing well for Arsenal too. She is stepping up when the team needs her. Having her in good form makes the decision about Leah much easier for Wiegman. She doesn’t have to force it. If Leah isn’t 100 percent then she can just stay on the bench.
Wiegman talked about the decision to leave her out of the Spain match. She said it was just a bit too soon for the defender. They didn’t want to take any risks that weren’t necessary. It makes sense because the World Cup is the big goal. You don’t want to lose your captain for the summer because of one game in April.
“She’s progressing well, but it was just a bit too soon for her. We don’t want to take unnecessary risks,” Wiegman told reporters after the match.
It sounds like the plan is to see how she feels after training. If her leg feels tight they probably won’t use her. Iceland is a physical team and they will put pressure on the back line. You need to be fully ready for a game like that or you will get caught out.
What This Means for the Iceland Game
The Iceland match is a big deal for the qualifying campaign. England has momentum now after beating Spain. A win on Saturday would put them in a great spot. The team feels confident and the atmosphere in the camp seems pretty good right now.
If Williamson does play it will probably be as a sub. Getting 20 or 30 minutes would be good for her fitness. She needs to play eventually to get her timing back. But starting her might be too much too soon. Wiegman has a lot of options on the bench if things go wrong.
And then there is the leadership part of it. Even if she isn’t playing Leah is still the captain. She is around the group and helping the younger players. That is worth a lot in a high-pressure environment like this. The players look up to her a lot.
The Goal.com update mentions that a final decision will happen after the last training session. That is pretty standard for football teams. They wait until the last second to see if the swelling has gone down. Or to see if the player feels confident in their own body.
Squad Depth and Future Plans
England has a lot of depth in defense now. It isn’t like a few years ago where losing one player ruined everything. Players like Wubben-Moy have grown a lot. They are ready to start big games. This is exactly what Wiegman wanted to build when she took the job.
But everyone knows England is better when Williamson is in the team. She passes the ball out from the back better than almost anyone. She reads the game so well. It is hard to replace that kind of quality. Even if the others are doing a decent job filling in for now.
The fans will be watching the team sheet closely on Saturday. If her name isn’t there it might cause some worry. People want to see her back for Arsenal and England. It has been a long road to recovery for her. Hopefully this is the last of the setbacks for a while.
Iceland will be a tough test. They are organized and they don’t give away much. England will have to be patient to break them down. Having someone like Leah who can play long balls could be useful. But only if she is actually fit enough to do it without hurting herself again.
We will have to wait and see what Wiegman decides. She is usually pretty honest about these things. If she says it is a risk then she won’t do it. She is a smart manager who looks at the long term. And the long term is making sure Leah is ready for the World Cup later this year.
It is a bit of a waiting game for everyone. The medical team at England are working hard with her. They have a good relationship with the Arsenal medical staff too. They are all talking to make sure they do what is best for the player. That is the most important thing at the end of the day.
