Wright called for Alessia Russo to get more rest after the striker played 85 minutes of the 8-0 win over China
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Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright has urged England manager Sarina Wiegman, as well as Gunners counterpart Renee Slegers, to rest Alessia Russo more often after the Lionesses striker played 85 minutes of the 8-0 friendly win over China.
Russo scored the last of England’s eight goals as the European champions ran rampant at Wembley, setting a new record for their biggest win at the national stadium and going just one short of equalling the biggest ever win there from a men’s or women’s team.
Russo’s goal came in the 78th minute, and she was subbed off seven minutes later for Chelsea forward Aggie Beever-Jones.
Alessia Russo played 85 minutes of the friendly despite the score being 8-0 when she came off the pitchopen image in gallery
Alessia Russo played 85 minutes of the friendly despite the score being 8-0 when she came off the pitch (The FA via Getty Images)
And while Russo looked desperate to score after playing her part in a brilliant team performance, Wright questioned why she wasn’t substituted earlier on in an international friendly with the result already long secured.
With a congested fixture schedule and player workload issues a hot talking point in the game, Wright said on ITV: “I was expecting Alessia Russo to come off [earlier]. She doesn't get taken off, for Arsenal and for England. I would like to see her given a bit of a break from that.”
While Wiegman handed a debut to goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse for the friendly, that was an enforced change after injuries to Hannah Hampton to Khiara Keating, and the England boss decided to keep to a similar pattern of substitutions with Jess Park, Chloe Kelly, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Beever-Jones introduced.
Although Wiegman did also bring on Taylor Hinds and Lucia Kendall, she opted against giving a debut to Freya Godfrey, Grace Fisk or Anouk Denton, while Laura Blindkilde Brown and Missy Bo Kearns – who have one and two caps respectively – were also unused substitutes.
"We take every game seriously," said Wiegman after her 50th win in charge of the Lionesses. "And when we sub three players at half-time, I think that's enough. We have a squad of 25 and there's many players that are really knocking on the door. Everyone wants to play.
Russo scored the final goal in the 8-0 demolitionopen image in gallery
Russo scored the final goal in the 8-0 demolition (Getty Images)
"Some players are just coming into the squad and they're really finding their feet. Other players have played for us and are doing a really good job and they're competing for starting positions. That's how I look at the game.
“I think what we wanted to do is come here, show who we are, put a very good performance in and I think that's what we did today.”
England’s final match of the year comes on Tuesday in another friendly, as the Lionesses take on Ghana at St Mary’s.