Shock as Maya gets cut for World Cup

The Manchester United defender’s absence, having been part of the past two England squads and made her international debut at the end of last year, was the biggest surprise in manager Sarina Wiegman’s 23-strong squad.

The 21-year-old was instead named as one of three players on standby. She will be part of pre-World Cup camps and will travel to Australia with the squad.

It is believed that Wiegman intends to give star defenders Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze maximum time to recover from recent surgery, and she would step in if either were to miss out.

Wiegman said it is ‘always tough’ to leave players like Le Tissier out.

‘She is really close – she will train with the team,’ she said.

‘That was a hard call, like all the defenders we had to think about, and she didn’t get there with the 23.

‘We also see her more as a right-back. At club she plays as a centre-back. She has had a very good season but this is the choice we made.’

The official BBC Match of the Day account was among those tweeting about Le Tissier’s exclusion, leading with the line: ‘The big omission for the Lionesses?’

Telegraph sports reporter Molly McElwee

shared her surprise via Twitter.

‘Genuinely shocked Maya Le Tissier has been left out of England’s World Cup squad – really strange call from Sarina Wiegman.’

MailSport women’s football correspondent Kathryn Batte admitted to being ‘very shocked’.

Michael Cox, football tactics analyst and writer for The Athletic, said that Le Tissier appeared unlucky to have missed out with only seven defenders selected and not much defensive cover from the midfield.

The selection blow followed clear support for Le Tissier’s stand-out season for Manchester United in women’s football coverage from The Guardian this week.

Three of four football writers named her as their young player of the season, remarking how she had been ‘hugely influential’ and ‘fitted seamlessly’ into the United defence, and looked ‘unflappable’ in the meanest backline in the Women’s Super League.

England squad

Goalkeepers: Mary Earps, Hannah Hampton, Ellie Roebuck.

Defenders: Millie Bright, Lucy Bronze, Jess Carter, Niamh Charles, Alex Greenwood, Esme Morgan, Lotte Wubben-Moy.

Midfielders: Laura Coombes, Jordan Nobbs, Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Katie Zelem, Kiera Walsh.

Strikers: Rachel Daly, Beth England, Lauren Hemp, Lauren James, Katie Robinson, Chloe Kelly, Alessia Russo.

On standby: Maya Le Tissier, Jess Park, Emily Ramsey.