England women’s coach Sarina Wiegman has said she is “surprised” at Arsenal’s plan to play an exhibition match in Melbourne in May – a trip she feels is “not good” for players.
The Gunners last week announced the post-season trip to Australia to face an ‘A League Allstars’ side on May 24.
England are set to play Euro 2025 qualifiers against France at St James’ Park on May 31 and then away on June 4.
“I was surprised about that trip. I think for all the players, with an already complicated calendar, it’s not good for them to go to the other side of the world,” Wiegman said on Tuesday:
“It’s very short term, not having the time to adapt and play a game and come back and go for us. I would say for every European player that goes into the qualifiers, that’s a thing that will be hard for them to take, and to perform at the highest level.”
Wiegman intimated several big name players could skip the trip, adding there had been “very good conversations about the summer” with Arsenal, “we’re on the same page.
“I’m in contact with Jonas (Eidevall, the Arsenal manager) all the time. They haven’t announced yet who is going and who is not.
“I think this is a matter for Arsenal and the last thing I would do is dictate a club or a coach, that’s not my job or what I want to do. I think this is a wider thing, and Arsenal hasn’t announced the team yet.”
The big attraction for Australian fans will be the three Matildas, Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross, but other Arsenal players are high profile Down Under after the Women’s World Cup last year.
Eidevall last week said of the trip: “For some players it will be the right thing to go, and for others it will not be the right thing if we talk about it from a loading and welfare perspective. We need to make good and deliberate decisions on that.”
Wiegman was speaking having named four Arsenal players in a 23-strong squad for next month’s qualifiers against Sweden at Wembley and the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.
Alessia Russo, Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and Lotte Wubben-Moy were the quartet.
Ten other Arsenal players, including stars Vivianne Miedema and Katie McCabe, have Euros qualifiers on May 31 and two more might be involved in the USA.
Source Agencies
