Sarina Wiegman has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss England’s final Euro 2022 group fixture against Northern Ireland on Friday evening, with assistant coach Arjan Veurink to lead the team in her absence.
Wiegman will undertake a period of recovery at the squad’s base camp in London, and will remain in remote contact with the players and technical staff.
A statement from the FA confirmed that the England boss will be monitored regularly with a view to returning to all elements of her role as soon as possible.
Wiegman is the second member of the England camp to have tested positive for Covid-19 during Euro 2022, after Lotte Wubben-Moy missed the Lionesses’ 8-0 victory over Norway following a positive test.
Wubben-Moy joined back up with the squad on Wednesday and is available for Friday evening’s fixture against Northern Ireland.
Wiegman is the first head coach to have tested positive for Covid at Euro 2022, but there have already been a number of cases across playing squads at the tournament.
Jackie Groenen and Vivianne Miedema of the Netherlands, Lea Schüller of Germany, Laura Wienroither and Katharina Naschenweng of Austria, Anna Westerlund, Tuija Hyyrynen and Tinja-Riika Korpela of Finland and Italy’s Valentina Cernoia have all tested positive for Covid-19 during Euro 2022.
There is just pride and momentum at stake during England‘s clash with Northern Ireland at St Mary’s on Friday evening, with the Lionesses’ progression to the quarter finals as group winners and Northern Ireland’s elimination both already confirmed.