Published 17 September 2021 1 min read
England Women's Senior Team
Houghton out of September games
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Lionesses skipper forced to withdraw from squad to play North Macedonia and Luxembourg through injury
England captain Steph Houghton has withdrawn from the squad after sustaining an ankle injury during the team’s final training session before facing North Macedonia at St. Mary’s Stadium.
The Manchester City defender will now return to her club for further assessment.
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 said “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.”
PLAY WOMEN'S & GIRLS' FOOTBALL