Dropping Kelly and Toone could prove a World Cup masterstroke by Wiegman | Tom Garry

Sarina Wiegman sent a clear message to two of England’s biggest names on Tuesday and – in doing so, irrespective of reputations – fired the same warning to every player: perform for your club or you will not go to the World Cup.

Wiegman was unequivocal with her reasoning for leaving Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly out of her squad for October’s playoff against Greece. Her straight-to-the-point and typically honest style made it inescapably clear, when she said: “The main reason is that I think the levels weren’t what I expect from them on the pitch.”

Related: Chloe Kelly and Ella Toone dropped by England after not hitting ‘expected’ level

Amid reports of Kelly struggling with an injury, Wiegman was asked to clarify if any concerns about fitness had played a part in her decision and she said: “Well, I had a conversation with Chloe and, for me, it was just what I saw on the pitch, so I kept it [to the] football.”

With those blunt words, the Dutchwoman emphasised that she was picking her squad on form, and it is a message that has an extra urgency given there are just under nine months to go until the start of the World Cup, which England will attempt to qualify for over the next 10 weeks across two rounds of playoffs, starting with October’s tie against Greece, and ultimately seek to go one better than 2023’s second-placed finish.

For England fans who have enjoyed the past three major tournaments and seen Toone and Kelly “come up clutch” in numerous big moments, having these two household names omitted from a squad may feel strange. Both were on the scoresheet in the 2022 European Championship final and they have been relied upon in the crucial games at tournaments that have defined this successful era, whether it was Toone dragging England level in their 2022 Euros quarter-final against Spain, lobbing Germany’s goalkeeper at Wembley in the final or firing into the top corner in the World Cup semi-final in 2023. Or whether it was Kelly repeatedly holding her nerve from the penalty spot in the dramatic summers of 2023 and 2025 or her cross that created England’s all-important goal in Basel. Their contributions will make them almost immortal in English women’s football history.

Interactive Wiegman has, however, frequently demonstrated that she will not be sentimental when it comes to squad selections, no matter the pedigree of any player and no matter the contributions they may have made to either the team or the wider English game. Examples include omitting the former England captain Steph Houghton, choosing Hannah Hampton as England’s No 1 over Mary Earps for Euro 2025 and how the international careers of successful servants such as Rachel Daly and Fran Kirby came to an end earlier than expected. The 56-year-old does not afford major-tournament winners the luxury of saying “you helped us win a tournament so you can keep your place ahead of an in-form, younger player”, and it has evidently served her well as she has evolved the team repeatedly and reached three finals in a row with England, winning two.

To be fair to Toone and Kelly, there are extenuating circumstances to their form. Toone has been part of a Manchester United side where very few players excelled in their opening two matches as they all appeared to take time to adjust to the ideas of their new manager, Eva Olid. Kelly, meanwhile, appears to be struggling with a hamstring problem, with her Arsenal head coach Renée Slegers confirming later on Tuesday that Kelly is unavailable for Arsenal’s Women’s Champions League game away against Paris FC on Wednesday. Slegers said: “She’s had some issues with her hamstring. There’s nothing we could see from an injury perspective [from scans] but [Kelly is] managing something.”

Nevertheless, neither player has been at their best in recent months and neither could say they finished last season in red-hot form. Therefore it is understandable that Wiegman has opted to give opportunities to players such as the London City Lionesses winger Freya Godfrey and the Chelsea midfielder Lexi Potter, who was mightily impressive during Chelsea’s win over Arsenal on Sunday.

It would also be wrong to imply Wiegman is closing the door on Toone, 27, and Kelly, 28. She added at her press conference at St George’s Park: “I still believe in them, they’re not in the squad but I believe in them.

“We expect a bit more and we know they can bring more. That was the message. There is also competition going on. It’s about talent, it’s about playing minutes – I hope they can step up and show what they can do. I’m convinced they can do better, I think they are convinced about that too. I think they took the feedback in a good and in a positive way but it’s hard to take at the same time of course, it’s not a nice message.”

Crucially, she concluded: “I hope they come back even better than they were before.” And therein lies the opportunity for this top-class duo. Rediscover their form and Brazil awaits. If they do start to click again for their clubs – which every England fan should hope they do – and they deliver next summer, this will all look like a masterstroke in management from Wiegman. Equally, Godfrey and Potter being rewarded for their domestic form has to be applauded too. And in the meantime, every England player, however strong their CV, however integral the role they may have played in 2025’s glorious summer, will now be on notice. The battle is on for World Cup selections, and time is of the essence.