^*^ England Women’s World Cup buildup plans hit by clubs’ player-release stance

• Club association wants longer break before tournament
• Sarina Wiegman may have to rethink preparation camps in June

The buildup to this year’s Women’s World Cup could be severely disrupted after the European Club Association (ECA) told the national associations that players will not be available until 10 days before the tournament starts.

The women’s game has been rocked by several high-profile injuries in the past year, including ruptured anterior cruciate ligaments suffered by players such as Vivianne Miedema, Alexia Putellas, Beth Mead and, last week, the England captain, Leah Williamson.

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