Sarina Wiegman insists England need to be on the ball to beat Iceland | OneFootball

England boss Sarina Wiegman insists her side have to be at their highest level to beat Iceland in their World Cup Qualifier on Saturday.

The Lionesses are preparing for the second of their qualifying matches at the City Ground in Nottingham.

England got their campaign off to the perfect start on Tuesday as Alessia Russo, Georgia Stanway and Jess Park each grabbed a brace for a comprehensive 6-1 win over Ukraine in Antalya.

Wiegman’s side will be hoping to register another qualifying win before they face Spain next month in a rematch of the Euros final last summer, and the World Cup final in 2023.

But Wiegman is not underestimating Iceland, she said: “I think a very strong test. They are very disciplined and physical, direct with a lot of pace. Tough to beat and we think we will have the ball a lot but hard to break down the defence.

“We are not talking about Spain, we are only talking about Iceland and we know it will be a tough game tomorrow. They have some very dangerous attacks with their directness and are tough to beat and we are getting ready and have to be at our top level to win this game.

“We stuck with the plan, everyone did their tasks together. That’s key in those moments, we stayed calm whilst there was also some freedom up front. That says a lot of the mentality of the team.”

After a goalless first period on Tuesday, Russo got the scoring started after the break as England notched all six of their goals in the second half.

That took Russo’s tally of goals in an England shirt to 29 and says everyone is enjoying playing for the Lionesses at the moment.

She said: “Everyone’s in a good place, confident and people are loving playing for England.

“I love scoring and playing for England so when you get to do them both its incredible. We are focused on winning every game we go into, I’m a striker and love to score and love to be involved as much as possible.

“When you’re in camp it’s the best place to be. We are so focused on playing for England.”

Manchester United’s Park continued her impressive season with a pair of goals against Ukraine and has now scored 11 times for both club and country this season across all competitions.

Russo hailed the 24-year-old and said she enjoys playing with her.

She added: “She’s had an incredible season both at club and internationally, and is a player that has grown a lot. When you first come into the England environment it is tough and you want to impress.

“I think as you grow and Sarina instils the freedom and confidence, you see that coming out massively and she can score some great goals as well, I love playing with her.”

Alex Greenwood missed Tuesday’s game with a minor muscle injury and after continued assessment she has withdrawn from the squad.

Wiegman confirmed: “Unfortunately, Alex didn’t make it. She has a minor muscle injury. She was desperate to go out last Tuesday and also tomorrow. We all tried to make it work but it’s just too early and not worth the risk.”