Fran Kirby pulled out of England's starting line-up on Friday ahead of their clash with Austria, causing injury concern for the Lionesses and Chelsea.
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Kirby pulls out of England line-upLeft warm-up early ahead of Austria gameReplaced in the XI by TooneWHAT HAPPENED?
Kirby left the warm-up early ahead of the friendly in Spain and was seen in discussion with the England physio before being replaced in the Lionesses' XI by Manchester United star Ella Toone.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Kirby is one of England's most talented players but has sadly been hampered by setbacks in recent times. It was only last summer when the Chelsea playmaker was forced to miss the World Cup as a result of a knee problem that had already ended her club season early. Both the Blues and the Lionesses will hope this problem is nowhere near as serious.
DID YOU KNOW?
Kirby became Chelsea's all-time top goal-scorer on the women's side in late 2020 and has now scored over 100 goals for the club. The only other player to hit a century for the Blues is Sam Kerr.
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR KIRBY AND ENGLAND?
More news on the extent of Kirby's issue and whether or not she'll be able to feature in Tuesday's friendly against Italy will be known in the coming days, as the England staff assess the talented playmaker.