Overview
- Head coach Marc Skinner said the plan is for Ella Toone to rejoin the squad in the first match after the April international window, with a careful step-up from solo to team training.
- Toone has been out since December with a hip injury and has not played this year, which rules her out of the Manchester derby at Old Trafford and the April 1 Champions League second leg at Bayern Munich.
- Her timeline also keeps her out of England duty in April, including the World Cup qualifier against Spain at Wembley on April 14 and the trip to Iceland a few days later.
- United’s depth is stretched, with only four senior outfield players named on the bench in the Bayern defeat and injuries to Leah Galton, Anna Sandberg, Dominique Janssen and Ellen Wangerheim reducing options.
- United’s first match after the break is scheduled at Tottenham on April 26, though that could move if they overturn a 3-2 first-leg deficit to Bayern, which would make Toone’s return even more valuable for rotation and control in midfield.