Lexi Potter recalled as England omit Chloe Kelly and Ella Toone for Greece play-off
England have recalled Lexi Potter and Erica Parkinson for next month’s Women’s World Cup qualifying play-off against Greece, with Chloe Kelly and Ella Toone left out of the Lionesses squad.
Potter, 20, has forced her way into contention after becoming a regular in Chelsea’s midfield at the start of the campaign. Parkinson earns her place following an encouraging opening spell with North Carolina Courage, having been selected in April but omitted in June.
Kelly and Toone, both key members of England’s Euro 2022-winning group, are the headline exclusions as competition intensifies in attacking and midfield positions. Kelly has begun only one of Arsenal’s first five matches this season. Toone was named among the substitutes for Manchester United’s 1-1 draw at Arsenal, but responded with a goal and an assist against Sheffield United in the League Cup before starting Sunday’s 2-1 win over West Ham.
Injuries and selection changes
Arsenal defenders Lotte Wubben-Moy and Taylor Hinds also miss out after each making only one appearance across the Gunners’ opening five games.
Niamh Charles returns in defence after coming off the bench for Chelsea against Manchester City at the weekend, while Liverpool centre-back Grace Fisk is included.
Aggie Beever-Jones is absent after recent injury problems limited her to 10 minutes during Chelsea’s victory over Arsenal on Sunday. Goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck has not featured this season following summer shoulder surgery, allowing Liverpool’s Khiara Keating to return to the group after securing regular minutes following her move.
England squad
- Goalkeepers: Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Khiara Keating (Liverpool), Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride)
- Defenders: Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), Jess Carter (Gotham), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Grace Fisk (Liverpool), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit), Leah Williamson (Arsenal)
- Midfielders: Laura Blindkilde Brown (Manchester City), Lucia Kendall (Aston Villa), Erica Parkinson (North Carolina Courage), Lexi Potter (Chelsea), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Keira Walsh (Chelsea)
- Forwards: Freya Godfrey (London City Lionesses), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Jess Park (Manchester United), Alessia Russo (Arsenal)
What happens next
- England travel to Heraklion, Crete, for the first leg against Greece at Pankritio Stadium on Friday 9 October.
- The second leg will be staged at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium on Tuesday 13 October.
- If England progress, they will face Slovakia or Ukraine for a place at the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
The Lionesses were pushed into the play-offs after missing the sole automatic qualification place in a group also containing Spain. Greece are 59th in the FIFA rankings, while Ukraine and Slovakia contest the other tie. England beat Ukraine twice during the group phase; Slovakia sit around 20 ranking places below Ukraine and have never reached a major tournament.
Spain, Denmark, France and Germany have already claimed UEFA’s automatic World Cup places. The Netherlands, Sweden, Italy and Norway are also among the leading European sides still navigating qualifying.
