England captain Steph Houghton has withdrawn from the squad after sustaining an ankle injury during the team’s final training session.
She will therefore miss the first two World Cup qualifiers and return to her club for further assessment, joining a growing list of injured senior Manchester City players.
Following Steph’s withdrawal, Arsenal’s Leah Williamson will captain her country in England’s first FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 qualifying fixture in Southampton.
Lionesses head coach Sarina Wiegman told thefa.com: “First and foremost, we would like to wish Steph a speedy recovery and hope to see her back fit soon.
“This is also an exciting opportunity for Leah Williamson to wear the captain’s armband at senior level for the first time and I look forward to seeing her in action.
“We hope to see as many of our fans as possible at this evening’s match as we get our World Cup campaign underway.”
