Ella Toone called up to England squad as Lucy Bronze withdraws

Manchester United midfielder Ella Toone has received a late call-up to the England squad for this month's Women's World Cup play-off ties against Greece.

The change comes after Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze was forced to withdraw from the squad. She will return to her club to manage a minor injury sustained during last weekend's league fixture against West Ham.

Toone, along with Arsenal winger Chloe Kelly, had been omitted from the initial squad, with manager Sarina Wiegman noting that their recent club performances had not reached their full potential. Toone has earned 69 senior caps for England and played a key role in their recent tournament history, including the 2023 World Cup final.

The Lionesses are currently in Crete preparing for Friday's first leg at the Pankritio Stadium. The return leg is scheduled for 13 October at the King Power Stadium in Leicester. The ultimate winners of this path will face either Slovakia or Ukraine in the final play-off round in late November and early December to determine who reaches next year's tournament in Brazil.