England manager Sarina Wiegman has explained why Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly were omitted from the latest Lionesses squad. The Manchester United midfielder and Arsenal forward have not been performing to their usual standards, according to Wiegman, despite their key roles in Euro 2022 and Euro 2025 victories. The team is preparing for their Women's World Cup qualifying play-off matches against Greece in October.

Wiegman emphasized that she still believes in both players but felt they hadn't reached their potential recently. She noted having difficult conversations with them, which they took well. There was speculation about Kelly's absence being injury-related, but Wiegman clarified it was purely based on on-pitch performance.

The squad sees the return of captain Leah Williamson, who missed recent matches, and first senior call-ups for Chelsea midfielder Lexi Potter and North Carolina Courage's Erica Meg Parkinson. Manchester City's Niamh Charles also returns from injury. England will face Greece in a double-header in Crete and Leicester, with a win securing progression to the next play-off round for the 2026 Women's World Cup in Brazil.