20 October 2020

Alessia Russo pulls out of England squad with thigh injury

Manchester United forward Alessia Russo has withdrawn from the England squad through injury.

The 21-year-old, who scored twice for United in their Women’s Super League victory over West Ham on Sunday, has a thigh problem.

Russo, who received her first call-up to the national squad earlier this year, is replaced by her club team-mate, midfielder Katie Zelem.

On Twitter, Russo wrote: “Gutted to be ruled out of camp with an injury. Will be back soon!! Excited to watch the girls take on Germany and buzzing for @katiezel."

England are training at St George’s Park ahead of next week’s trip to Germany, where they will face the two-time World Cup winners in Wiesbaden on Tuesday.

The match will be England’s first since the SheBelieves Cup in March, where Phil Neville’s side beat Japan but lost to the USA and Spain.

Their last meeting with Germany was a 2-1 defeat last November, with England undone by a last-minute winner from Klara Buhl in front of a record crowd of nearly 80,000 at Wembley.

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