Toone called up to England squad as Bronze withdraws

Ella Toone has received a call-up to the England squad ahead of their Women’s World Cup play-off ties against Greece.

Manchester United midfielder Toone was originally left out of Sarina Wiegman’s initial squad, alongside Arsenal’s Chloe Kelly, with the Lionesses manager saying “they have not played to their potential in my opinion in the last couple of weeks”.

Speaking after Manchester United’s 1-0 win over Liverpool in the WSL on Saturday, the 27-year-old said: “It’s been a really difficult week. It’s not the news that any footballer wants. But I’ve got good people around me, the manager’s played me today, so that shows the belief she has. And I’ve got good team-mates who give me that confidence.

“But it’s about me now, I’ve got to keep working hard. I’ve got to use it as fuel to come back even better, and the main thing for me is I step out onto the pitch and I enjoy my football. And that’s when I play my best.”

Toone has featured 69 times for England, scoring 24 goals, winning Euro 2022 and 2025 in the process, along with starting the Lionesses 1-0 defeat to Spain in the 2023 World Cup final.

Meanwhile Bronze, 34, has returned to Chelsea to manage a minor injury which the defender sustained in the Blues’ league match against West Ham last weekend.

Wiegman’s side face off against Greece at the Pankritio Stadium in Heraklion in the first leg of their first 2027 World Cup play-off on Friday, with the reverse fixture taking place on Tuesday 13th October at the King Power Stadium.

The winners of this will then face Slovakia or Ukraine in another two-legged play-off to determine who progresses to next year’s finals in Brazil.