Ella Toone says England are ready for ‘exciting’ Spain

Ella Toone says England are ready to embrace the challenge of facing Spain, as the Lionesses prepare for a decisive World Cup qualifier, with the midfielder ‘buzzing’ to be back in camp after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The Manchester United player returns to the England setup after missing the previous two camps with a stress fracture in her hip, an injury which forced her to shut down completely during her recovery.

Toone has worked her way back in time for a crucial international window and is relishing the opportunity to be involved once again.

“It’s been a long time,” she said. “It’s really been difficult and for me to miss out on two camps as well, with big games and a lot of games for Man United, it was tough.

“I knew I had to keep working hard and get myself in the best place possible ready to be available and up for selection for this camp.

“I’m buzzing to be back."

With England knowing a result against Spain would secure qualification for next summer's World Cup in Brazil, Toone believes the squad is approaching the challenge with confidence rather than caution.

“Spain is always a massive game for us,” she said. “There’s a lot of competition there and it’s always a tough game.

“I knew I had to be 100 per cent ready, physically in a better place and mentally too, and I feel like I’ve done that.”

The 25 year old expects another closely-fought contest against a Spanish side renowned for its technical quality and dominance of possession, just over a month on from their win over them at Wembley.

“It’s difficult,” she said. “Spain love to be in possession of the ball and sometimes you’ve got to be patient.

“They’re very technical, constantly moving, so you’ve got to stay concentrated throughout the game.

“But I also think they don’t like coming up against an England midfield either.”

England could qualify with a draw in Mallorca on Friday evening, but Toone insists the Lionesses’ mentality will remain unchanged as they head to the Balearic island.

“I don’t think you can go into a game thinking you can just go for the draw,” she added. “We are players that want to win games of football.

“We’ve got loads of confidence. There’s a lot of talent, experienced players and new talent coming through, and we always have that belief in each other.”

The Lionesses will qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 should they win or draw against Spain, with their final qualifier against Ukraine at Everton's Hill-Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool on Tuesday 9 June (8pm), with tickets for this game still on sale.