England's list of injury absentees for the October camp has grown again after Katie Reid and Grace Clinton withdrew from Sarina Wiegman's squad, joining Leah Williamson, Lauren James and Lauren Hemp on the sidelines. The Lionesses will take on Brazil and Australia in a pair of interesting friendlies but will have to do so without a full complement, with Millie Bright also retiring earlier this month.
Explained: Why Reid and Clinton have withdrawn from England squad
grThe news is a shame for both Reid and Clinton, but neither withdrawal is a surprise. Reid missed Arsenal's most recent game, a trip to Benfica in the Champions League, with a tight groin and has been unable to recover in time for what would have been her first senior England camp. The 19-year-old has been in outstanding form at the start of this new season, filling in for the absent Williamson, and was fully deserving of her inclusion in Wiegman's latest squad. She'll hope she can continue in that vein upon her return, in order to make the November group.
Clinton, meanwhile, has missed both of Man City's last two games with what head coach Andree Jeglertz had described as "a small injury". It continues what has been a frustrating start to the new season for the midfielder, who arrived at City on transfer deadline day still dealing with a niggle that had sidelined her for Man Utd's Champions League qualifiers. Both players have returned to their clubs for rehabilitation.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesOpportunities opening up at centre-back for Lionesses amid absentees
As one uncapped centre-back steps aside, in Reid, another has been called up in her place, as Wiegman has turned to Liverpool's Grace Fisk in light of these injuries. It is Fisk's first call-up since February 2020, when she was part of the squad that travelled to the United States for the SheBelieves Cup, and her first in the Wiegman era, as that previous opportunity came while Phil Neville was still in charge of the Lionesses.
Liverpool have had a tough start to the new Women's Super League campaign, as they are yet to even get a point on the board after five games, but Fisk has been one of the Reds' more impressive performers and is a player who is well known to the England staff, having been capped across the youth national teams. She is an important call-up, too, as Reid's withdrawal further depletes a centre-back department that is already without both Williamson, through injury, and Bright, who retired from international duty this month.
A surprise? England opt not to call-up Clinton replacement
England, however, have not called anyone into camp to replace Clinton, reducing the 25-player squad down to 24. It's a slight surprise, given there are options out there that Wiegman could have taken this opportunity to take a look at. Maisie Symonds, the 22-year-old Brighton captain, was called up by the Lionesses back in April and has impressed in midfield for the Seagulls so far this season, while Ruby Mace, who won her first senior cap in December of last year, has started well at new club Everton.
Wiegman, though, is happy to go into these fixtures with what she already has in her squad and, in truth, she does still have quite a few options in those midfield areas. Alongside stalwarts like Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone, the in-form Laura Blindkilde Brown is included, Aston Villa's Missy Bo Kearns has been granted another opportunity and there is a first call-up for her club-mate, Lucia Kendall.
Getty ImagesEngland's October camp: Chance to experiment in Brazil and Australia friendlies
Injuries to Reid and Clinton, particularly the latter, only reinforce the idea that this could be a camp of experimentation for England, or at least support the calls for it to be as much. The Lionesses' long list of absentees appears to have presented opportunities at centre-back, in the wide areas and likely also in midfield as they prepare to face Brazil and Australia in a pair of friendlies. The South American champions are first up, at Man City's Etihad Stadium on October 25, with the Matildas to follow three days later at Derby County's Pride Park.