Sarina Wiegman has explained why Chloe Kelly was left out of the latest England squad, with the decision nothing to do with the forward’s current hamstring problem.
Sarina Wiegman has explained why Chloe Kelly was left out of the latest England squad, with the forward omitted before the hamstring problem that has since ruled her out for Arsenal.
Kelly was absent from open training at London Colney on Tuesday as Arsenal prepared for their Champions League game against Paris FC on Wednesday evening.
Asked about her absence after the session, Renée Slegers confirmed that Kelly was managing a hamstring problem, prompting speculation that it had been behind her England omission.
“She’s had some issues with her hamstring and no injury,” Slegers told reporters. “Nothing we could see from an injury perspective, but been managing something, and at the moment, not available to play.”
Slegers was then asked whether that was why Kelly had not been selected by England, but made clear that it was not.
“I think Sarina’s had a press conference this morning and that’s between England and the player of course,” she replied.
“That’s their decisions. I don’t know exactly what’s being communicated in that moment, but of course that’s Sarina’s decision. Yes, so she played, I think England announced her squad today, she played on Sunday, she played 30-plus minutes for us, so at that point she was fit and available.”
At her own press conference, Wiegman was asked about leaving out Kelly and Ella Toone of Manchester United.
“The main reason is that I think the levels weren’t what I expected from them on the pitch,” Wiegman said of the two omissions,” the England head coach said.
“I’ve had a conversation with them and there’s a big competition going on too.
“Of course that has been a very hard decision for both of them. I really believe in them and we follow them really well, and we expect a bit more. And we know they can bring more. And that was the message again too.”
Asked if it was her fitness that was the issue, Wiegman said, “I had a conversation with Chloe and for me it was what I saw on the pitch, so I kept it to football.”
Kelly has yet to start for Arsenal in the league this season and has now been ruled out of the Champions League game in Paris. With a hamstring issue still troubling her, a few weeks away from the pitch will at least give her time to recover properly.
Slegers was also asked how Arsenal can help the 28-year-old return to her best.
“Yeah, that was an amazing second half of the season and it was fantastic to see what happened with Chloe coming back to Arsenal and how she connected with the fans, with the club,” Slegers said about Kelly when she first signed on loan from Manchester City in January 2025.
“So, a very special moment and then on top of that winning the Champions League.
“Of course it’s number one, starting point for a player is always to be fit and available, that’s where it starts and then if you look at the squad that we have right now, it’s also about competing for playing minutes and she’s doing that.
“But like I said, at the moment, not fully fit and hopefully she gets back to her best soon.”
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