30 June 2023 , 14:02
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Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman has issued an injury update on defender Alex Greenwood following her injury scare earlier this week.
The Euro 2022-winning boss also dismissed suggestions that the players were heading to Australia and New Zealand for the Women’s World Cup without adequate match fitness.
The Lionesses suffered an injury worry earlier this week when Greenwood was seen receiving treatment on the pitch after going in for a tackle during a training session.
The Manchester City defender hobbled off the pitch clutching an ice pack to her left ankle, fuelling speculation around the 29-year-old’s fitness ahead of Saturday’s send-off clash with Portugal.
But Wiegman was quick to play down any worries and confirmed Greenwood is in contention for Saturday’s sold-out match.
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“It's uncomfortable when any player goes down but you see how intense the training sessions are and we really challenge ourselves to improve,” she said at a pre-match press conference on Friday.
“So things happen like that. I’m just really pleased when they stand up and can walk off the pitch so then we know she’ll be alright.”
Many in the England squad have not played competitive football since the end of the English domestic season in May and concerns have been aired regarding players’ match-fitness going into the summer’s showpiece event.
Nonetheless, Wiegman maintained that England’s send-off matches against Portugal and Canada respectively would supply ample preparation within the allotted time available before travelling Down Under.
Alex Greenwood of England is seen with an ice pack on her leg during an England Training Session at St Georges Park earlier this week (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)“We knew ahead of our preparations that this was the case,” she said. “So you plan things ahead and this is the best possible preparation that we can have with all the experience, knowledge and feedback from players.
“We want to play more games but we also want to get our schedule right, so that means we can only play two games in the schedule before we go to the World Cup.
“Also we are travelling to the other side of the world, which takes time. Two days. It also takes time to beat jet lag.”
England will face Portugal on Saturday before flying to Australia and New Zealand later next week and taking on Canada behind closed doors as a final preparation before the group stages.