Game Changer: Georgia Stanway Takes Charge in Keira Walsh's Absence Against China in World Cup Group Clash

Georgia Stanway will step up and set an example in the absence of her midfield partner and best friend, Keira Walsh, for England's last Women's World Cup group match against China. Walsh had to be carried off on a stretcher during Friday's 1-0 victory over Denmark in Sydney, leaving concerns of a significant knee injury. However, subsequent scans have confirmed that Walsh did not sustain an ACL injury as initially suspected.

England manager Sarina Wiegman has confirmed that Walsh will not be playing in Tuesday's match against China in Adelaide. In Walsh's absence, Stanway is excited about the opportunity to take on more responsibility. "I woke up this morning with a greater sense of maturity," Stanway expressed.

Over the past year, I believe I have established myself as a leader through my performance on the field. I have gained a strong sense of self-assurance in my abilities and have consistently performed well after the Euros. Moving forward, my aim is to maintain this momentum.

"I can prove my leadership by the way that I am playing. I can lead by example and I'm not afraid to communicate. I'll try and do two jobs."

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England's Keira Walsh was injured during Women's World Cup match vs Denmark

Wiegman was non-committal when asked whether Walsh would be able to play any further part in the tournament.

"Keira is okay. It's not an ACL. I can't give you any more information," Wiegman said.

"She won't be available tomorrow and actually we are only really focusing on the game tomorrow and after that we will continue what we are doing.

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Walsh instantly signalled to the bench that she could not continue upon sustaining the injury late in the first half

I believe our team is sufficiently strong. We aim to deliver exceptional performance in every game, even though she is unable to participate. Despite our group now consisting of 22 members instead of 23, we have identified solutions and intend to demonstrate them tomorrow.

Losing players is unfortunate; it affects both the individuals themselves and the team. However, our purpose is to push forward and progress.

We must acknowledge that it is a part of the sport, although unpleasant, we must continue forward, adjust to the new circumstances, find a solution, and field 11 players who we believe can secure victory in the game.

Wiegman currently faces the absence of five players who were part of the starting lineup in last year's Euros, for the upcoming match against China. However, the England boss remains undeterred and emphasizes that the objective is to conclude the group stages with a flawless record of 100 percent.

"Things happen in sport," Wiegman said.

"Sometimimes you win some things and sometimes you lose, like now you lose some players. As I said, we have a group of 23.

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"It may appear slightly different as we have a new set of players, but our objective remains the same – to win games. We have successfully achieved this in the first two games and will continue our pursuit of victory tomorrow as well."

Stanway further commented, "As Sarina mentioned, all 22 of us need to rise to the occasion, and Walsh will be observing our performance."

What is the Women's World Cup schedule?

Subsequently, the quarter-finals are scheduled to be held in Wellington, Auckland, Brisbane, and Sydney on August 11 and 12.

The first semi-final is scheduled for August 15 in Auckland, while the second semi-final will be held on August 16 at the Accor Stadium in Sydney. The Accor Stadium will also serve as the venue for the final on August 20. Additionally, a third-place play-off will take place in Brisbane on August 19, a day before the final.