England's women's national football team looks a bit different heading into the 2027 Women's World Cup qualifiers after Sarina Wiegman overhauled her squad. The latest 23-player Lionesses roster drops mainstays Chloe Kelly and Ella Toone just before a two-leg play-off against Greece on October 9th and 13th.
Wiegman Injects Youth into England Women's National Football Team
In their place, Wiegman turned to youth. Chelsea midfielder Lexi Potter, 20, earned her first senior call-up. Meanwhile, North Carolina Courage mid Erica Meg Parkinson, 18, returns after her debut selection in March. Together, the picks signal a longer-term build for the Lionesses' 2027 Women's World Cup run in Brazil.
Still, experience hasn't taken a back seat. Captain Leah Williamson returns to the squad after missing June's fixtures. She joins veterans Lucy Bronze, Keira Walsh, and Alessia Russo in the traveling group.
"We are here to win these two games, deliver strong performances, and move one step closer to securing our place at the World Cup," Wiegman said of her picks. She also shared her reasoning for leaving both Kelly and Toone at home.
"The levels were not what I expected from them on the pitch. I still believe in them. I'm convinced they can do better. I think they are convinced about that, too. They took the feedback well, in a positive way. I hope they come back even better than they were before."
England travel to Heraklion first before hosting the return leg at Leicester's King Power Stadium. A two-leg win would advance the Lionesses into Round 2 against Slovakia or Ukraine in late November.
