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Sarina Wiegman cleared to return for England vs Spain after negative Covid test

The Lionesses head coach will be back on the sidelines in Brighton

Sports Staff
Wednesday 20 July 2022 17:13 BST
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Wiegman will be on the sidelines in Brighton
Wiegman will be on the sidelines in Brighton (PA)

Sarina Wiegman is fit to return to the sidelines for England’s Euro 2022 quarter-final with Spain on Wednesday night.

The Lionesses head coach missed Friday’s 5-0 group-stage victory over Northern Ireland following a positive test, with assistant Arjan Veurink taking the lead from the dugout.

Wiegman has been watching training from a distance with a mask on but following a negative test she will be back in her usual capacity as England look to book a place in the last four at the Amex Stadium.

Speaking on Tuesday, Wiegman confirmed she was feeling good and confident of coming back.

“I’m good, I’m feeling well. I’m actually ready to go, but still have to wait,” she said. “Of course I’m very hopeful but we’ll see what happens, and we do know if I can’t be there I’ll be around in another way.

“We had a line so I was in contact with the technical staff all the time during (Friday’s) game, watching it of course from here (at the team’s south-west London base). So we stayed connected all the time. If necessary, that is what we will do (on Wednesday) again.”

England head into the last-eight clash as the form team in the tournament after scoring 14 goals without reply in the group stages including the 8-0 thrashing of Norway in the same venue as tonight’s game a week ago.

Wiegman, though, is wary of the threat the Spanish - who are ranked a place above England at seventh in the world - pose despite losing stars Alexia Putellas and Jennifer Hermoso to injury just prior to the Euros.

Wiegman added: “Of course they miss two key players. I still think they have a very good team and they are very tight on the ball. But we’ve also seen in the last games that they have some vulnerabilities.

“They’ll probably have the ball a lot, I hope we do too. I’m pretty excited to see what it’s going to look like (on Wednesday evening).”

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