A first squad of the season is where captains come back and pathway players arrive. Play-off ties do not wait for club calendars.
Two legs in four days decide whether the winter window is about qualification or damage limitation. Crete first, Leicester second.
Respect for the opponent and a demand to win both games can sit in the same sentence.
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Sarina Wiegman has named 23 players for England’s FIFA Women’s World Cup round one play-off against Greece. The Arsenal trio in the group are Leah Williamson, Georgia Stanway and Alessia Russo.
Williamson returns as captain after missing the June fixtures through injury. Chelsea midfielder Lexi Potter receives a first senior call-up. Uncapped Erica Meg Parkinson is back after her debut selection in April.
England travel to the Pankritio Stadium in Heraklion on Friday 9 October (5.30pm BST). The second leg is at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium on Tuesday 13 October (7.30pm). A win over two legs would set up Slovakia or Ukraine in November, with a place at next summer’s finals in Brazil at stake.
Wiegman said: “We have great respect for Greece, but our expectations of ourselves are clear.
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“We are here to win these two games, deliver strong performances, and move one step closer to securing our place at the World Cup.
“It’s always exciting to reconnect as a group and we are looking forward to getting back together. The players will arrive motivated and ready for the next steps.
“We are looking forward to travelling to Crete and playing Greece for the first time ever. We will then return to Leicester, where we’ve enjoyed some good moments together in the past. We know our supporters will get behind the team again, and it will be great to play in front of them after a few months away.”
England were runners-up at the 2023 World Cup. The King Power is a familiar venue after a 7-0 win over Jamaica there in June 2025.
Williamson’s return steadies the defence. Stanway gives midfield control. Russo remains the reference point in attack. Club football resumes around the same week as the first leg, so minutes in Crete will be managed rather than unlimited.
Tickets for Leicester remain on sale. For the three from north London the job is simpler than the calendar: two clean performances, a tie put away, and a winter that is about Brazil rather than another play-off.
Viktor Gyokeres
Viktor Gyokeres