England boss Sarina Wiegman has admitted it is unlikely that former captain Steph Houghton will feature in her World Cup squad.
The injury-plagued Manchester City defender first captained the Lionesses in 2014, and while she was called up to the provisional squad for Euro 2022, she did not make the final cut for the team that lifted the trophy on home soil.
The 34-year-old said on Sunday that she wanted “closure on the situation”.
Wiegman has insisted she will not “close the door,” but conceded Houghton was now down the pecking order.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of England’s friendly against Australia on Tuesday, Wiegman said: “It’s hard at the moment. She’s in a hard position because, as I said, I don’t want to take out the players who are in that position, because they are doing really well.
“So the chances are not that high, but I will never close the door because when you are in international football and you are England coach, you want everyone to be available.
“So if things happen for some players, that situation changes, but at this moment I make other choices.
“Steph is a very good player, a very experienced player, and I have a lot of respect for what she has done for the women’s game and she has come back in the squad for Man City. But…
