Lionesses captain Williamson set to miss USWNT clash

WHAT HAPPENED? The Arsenal defender was named in Sarina Wiegman's initial 23-player squad for the Wembley outing against the USWNT, but suffered an injury in training at the start of the week. The 25-year-old will now be assessed to find out the full extent of the injury, while West Ham's Lucy Parker has had to withdraw from the squad completely after coming off with an issue during a League Cup tie at the weekend.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Lotte Wubben-Moy and Nikita Parris have now been added to Wiegman's squad for the game against the USWNT and a subsequent meeting with the Czech Republic on October 11.

AND WHAT'S MORE: If Euro 2022 hero Williamson does not recover by Friday, she will sit on the sidelines alongside Parker and Alessia Russo, the latter of whom was forced to withdraw from the Lionesses camp with a ''small injury''.

WHAT THEY SAID: An official statement from England reads: ''Lotte Wubben-Moy and Nikita Parris have been added to the England women’s senior squad following injuries to Leah Williamson and Lucy Parker.

''Williamson will undergo further assessment on an injury sustained in training, while Parker will return to West Ham United to continue her rehabilitation having been injured in her club’s FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup tie this weekend.''

STORY IN TWO PHOTOS:

WHAT NEXT FOR WILLIAMSON? The England skipper will hope to feature in some capacity during the next two international fixtures, but if her injury proves to be a serious one, she will instead target a comeback for Arsenal's next WSL run-out at Reading on October 16.