Wiegman leaves Toone and Kelly out of England squad for October World Cup playoff
Sarina Wiegman left Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly out of England’s squad for October’s World Cup playoff against Greece at a press conference at St George’s Park on Tuesday, citing their recent on-pitch levels. Her decision, she said, was intended to make clear that club form will be a determining factor for selection ahead of qualification.
Wiegman explained the selection in straightforward terms: “The main reason is that I think the levels weren’t what I expect from them on the pitch.” When asked whether fitness concerns influenced the call, she added: “Well, I had a conversation with Chloe and, for me, it was just what I saw on the pitch, so I kept it [to the] football.” She underlined the urgency of the message with under nine months remaining until the start of the World Cup and noted England must qualify across two rounds of playoffs over the next 10 weeks, beginning with the October tie against Greece, as they seek to improve on 2023’s second-placed finish.
Both Toone and Kelly have been prominent in England’s recent tournament history and scored in the 2022 European Championship final. Toone’s past contributions cited in the announcement include her goal that levelled the 2022 Euros quarter-final against Spain, her lob in the final at Wembley, and her strike into the top corner in the 2023 World Cup semi-final. Kelly’s high-pressure finishes are also referenced, including penalties in 2023 and 2025 and a cross that created England’s decisive goal in Basel.
Wiegman’s selection choices have previously cut across established reputations: she has omitted the former England captain Steph Houghton, selected Hannah Hampton as England’s No 1 over Mary Earps for Euro 2025, and overseen the early international exits of Rachel Daly and Fran Kirby. The manager, aged 56, has repeatedly altered the squad during her tenure.
There were mitigating circumstances noted for both players. Toone has featured for Manchester United in a period when few players produced strong performances in the opening two matches as they adjusted to new manager Eva Olid. Kelly appears to be managing a hamstring issue; Arsenal head coach Renée Slegers confirmed Kelly is unavailable for Arsenal’s Women’s Champions League game away against Paris FC on Wednesday, saying: “She’s had some issues with her hamstring. There’s nothing we could see from an injury perspective [from scans] but [Kelly is] managing something.” The manager and reporting noted that neither player has been at their best in recent months and that neither finished last season in red-hot form.
Wiegman has chosen to reward current domestic form by calling up alternatives, including London City Lionesses winger Freya Godfrey and Chelsea midfielder Lexi Potter, the latter described as impressive during Chelsea’s win over Arsenal on Sunday. On the decision to omit Toone and Kelly, Wiegman said: “I still believe in them, they’re not in the squad but I believe in them. “We expect a bit more and we know they can bring more. That was the message. There is also competition going on. It’s about talent, it’s about playing minutes – I hope they can step up and show what they can do. I’m convinced they can do better, I think they are convinced about that too. I think they took the feedback in a good and in a positive way but it’s hard to take at the same time of course, it’s not a nice message.”
Wiegman concluded on the personal outlook for the two players: “I hope they come back even better than they were before.” The omissions create immediate selection pressure ahead of October’s playoff against Greece, the first of two knockout rounds England must navigate over the coming 10 weeks to secure World Cup qualification.