Women's World Cup 2019: England forced to act over team leaks

Players reminded to keep information confidential

The Football Association were forced to act on suspicions that Phil Neville’s England team selections were leaked at the Women’s World Cup, it has emerged.

Neville’s players have been reminded to keep information on line-ups, formations and tactical instructions confidential, following breaches ahead of matches earlier in the tournament.

The suspected leaks are not thought to have been malicious in nature though information may still have made its way to opposition teams and coaches by word of mouth.

Neville is committed to a regular squad rotation policy, which is partly designed to keep England’s opponents guessing at how his side will line up.

The England manager is yet to name an unchanged side at the tournament, with several eye-catching selection ahead of Tuesday night’s semi-final defeat to the United States.

Neville started his players in a previously untested 4-4-1-1 formation, with regulars Fran Kirby and Toni Duggan dropped to the substitutes’ bench and Nikita Parris playing centrally.

England’s World Cup concludes on Saturday afternoon, when they will contest the third-place play-off against their fellow losing semi-finalists Sweden in Nice.