Cymru head coach Rhian Wilkinson spoke to the media on Tuesday and provided an update on the fitness of Sophie Ingle as the midfielder continues her recovery from an ACL injury with the squad announcement for EURO 2025 just a month away.
“I haven’t seen her so I’d just have to say 50/50 because she is ahead of schedule, but what is the schedule?” explained Wilkinson when asked about the chance of Ingle making the finals. “ACL’s are vastly different and dependent on the athlete and I don’t always think ahead of schedule is great if you skip steps, but I trust Chelsea has done everything properly.
“I need to see her and have clear conversations with her before I make that decision. I do want her back but not at the risk of Sophie Ingle’s knee. She’s had fantastic reports from Chelsea in terms of how she’s training. The problem is that Chelsea are not training anymore, so it’s really important to get her back with us.”
Earlier this month it was announced that Ingle will leave Chelsea at the end of the contract after playing over 200 games for club. “Sophie is doing really well and a big thank you to Chelsea,” Wilkinson added. “Her return to play and recovery has been incredibly well managed by them. She’s obviously leaving the club, so that commitment to their player has been really appreciated.”
Sophie Ingle in action for Cymru against Kosovo last July
Wilkinson spoke to the media at the Swansea.com Stadium as she announced her latest squad for the final two competitive fixtures of the current campaign. Cymru will complete their UEFA Women’s Nations League A4 games against Denmark in Odense on Friday 30 May (6:15pm) before facing Italy in Swansea in the final group match on Tuesday 3 June (6:30pm) and with it complete their preparations for EURO 2025.
Wilkinson’s side have claimed two impressive 1-1 draws against Sweden but sit bottom of their group still searching for their first victory, although the competitive nature of the group means that Cymru can still avoid relegation as they are just four points behind Denmark and Italy heading into the final two rounds of games.
Vital preparation
However, the campaign has proved vitally important in allowing a number of young players the opportunity to test themselves against the elite of the European game. Players including Mayzee Davies, Mared Griffiths and goalkeeper Safia Middleton-Patel have all impressed, while uncapped teenagers Soffia Kelly and Tianna Tiesar are included in the current squad for the final two fixtures.
“We are in such a fantastic group,” Wilkinson added. “The fact that everyone is still within touching distance is great. We are a few points off in fourth, but equally, it’s still within our grasp. When you talk about pressure, it’s great, and it’s an incredible opportunity for us. I don’t think we would have expected this when we started, so we love this opportunity and we’ve always placed this pressure as excitement.”
The match against Italy in Swansea on 3 June will be the final fixture before the squad head to Switzerland, although there was an opportunity for an additional friendly fixture to be arranged. “If we had found the right opposition to have had a game at home would have been really nice,” Wilkinson explained. “The FAW wanted a fixture too, but we were one of the later nations to qualify.
Rhian Wilkinson will take her Cymru squad to Swansea to take on Italy next month
“The reality is that the options that were available to me I wasn’t interested in. That isn’t meaning to be disrespectful, it just had to be a very specific type of game. We were offered a game against a phenomenal team from Africa, which was exciting, but they are not preparation for the EURO. This was my call. If you don’t have the right opposition, don’t force it. That’s something I learned as a player and as a coach.”
Tough decisions
Wilkinson confirmed that there is still time for players to play their way into contention for a place in the EURO 2025 squad, and that there will be some difficult conversations to have before her squad announcement on 19 June on the summit of Wyddfa. “I haven’t named my squad yet and they know that,” she explained. “There’s a different intensity that will be a reality of this camp, no matter how much I try and take the air out of that moment.
“They know that some of them are potentially going to have dreams come true if they make the squad, whereas others who have given so much to this qualification journey might not be with us right at the end. It’s going to be a tough camp for that. I think everyone knows that all our games leading up to this training camp have played a part in helping me make my decisions, but there are players that are right on the edge.
“We obviously have injuries – and injuries happen in football – so anything can happen. It is the hardest part of my job. It’s terrible but also that is the job. I try really hard to be as clear as possible with players as early as possible without being cruel. It’s a fine line because these players, they’re all in, they are fully committed and I’m one person and it’s one person’s opinion.”