Gabby George 'very excited' and 'a little surprised' by England recall

Sarina Wiegman revealed Gabby George was very excited, if not a little surprised, to be joining up with the England women’s senior team for the first time in three years.

Wiegman’s squad for the two FIFA World Cup qualifiers against North Macedonia and Northern Ireland had a familiar feel to it when announced last week.

But with Alex Greenwood and Lotte Wubben-Moy returning to their clubs due to injury and recently appointed captain Leah Williamson ruled out of Friday’s game in North Macedonia, Wiegman has promoted George from the Under-23 squad.

Wiegman said: “Gabby was in Spain with the Under-23s so Mo Marley first informed her and then I gave her a call. 

“She was very excited, perhaps a little surprised, but she couldn’t wait to come over and join this team.

“It is good to hear that players really want to join this team and are really excited and ambitious to play for the national team.”

England women’s under-23s are currently in Spain, where they will face Netherlands twice on Friday (kick-off 3pm BST) and Monday (kick-off 11am BST).

The senior team will also be in action Friday night, when they take on North Macedonia at the Tose Proeski Arena (kick-off 7pm BST), before travelling to a packed Windsor Park in Northern Ireland on Tuesday.

Preparations have been hampered this week by Greenwood returning to Manchester City for rehabilitation for an ongoing knee issue and Wubben-Moy heading back to Arsenal because of a thigh injury.

While those two players have returned to their clubs, Williamson has remained with the squad but will miss the North Macedonia game due to concussion protocols, having missed training earlier this week as a precaution after being assessed following Arsenal's match at the weekend.

Vice-captain Millie Bright and Jess Carter have both played centre back under Wiegman and George will be hoping the coming games could be a chance to add to her two senior team caps.

George’s first senior involvement came at the 2018 SheBelieves Cup in the USA and she made her debut later that year when she featured in a 6-0 win over Kazakhstan.

George would miss the best part of a year after suffering a serious knee injury in early 2020 but her form for Everton has helped earn a recall.

Wiegman said: “I have never met Gabby before. Of course, I have seen her play and she has joined the squad before, then she got an injury and this season she has come back. She was in the Under-23 squad and she is a young player and a talented player so it is an opportunity for her.

“She is also a left footed, so it is an opportunity to see her in this camp.”

On Greenwood and Wubben-Moy’s departure from the squad, Wiegman added: “It is really disappointing mostly for themselves, for Lotte as well because she also couldn’t make the February camp. But we have to do the right thing for them. 

“Yes we want them in our squad and to play but if they have too much physical issues wise, you do not want to create a risk that they get injured for a longer time. 

“We don’t want to do that so I think we have made the right decision, for them and also for the team.”