View: Rachel Daly is inadvertently blocking Aston Villa Women teammate Maz Pacheco route to England team
After being named in Sarina Wiegman’s most recent England squad as a defender, Rachel Daly has inadvertently blocked her Aston Villa teammate Maz Pacheco’s route into the Lionesses setup.
Daly, 31, was an integral pillar in England’s run to the Euro 2022 final, starting every game as a left-back and becoming a lynchpin in a stellar back-four.
However, since moving to Aston Villa last summer, the former Houston Dash player has proven herself one of the most deadly strikers in World football. Her scinitillating form in front of goal has seen her net nine Women’s Super League goals this season and only lie behind Manchester City star Khadija Shaw in the Golden Boot race.
This purple patch in front of goal, however, seems to have bypassed England manager Wiegman, who still placed Daly as one of her nine defenders for the upcoming Arnold Cup – which will likely play a crucial role in the selection process for the Women’s World Cup later this year.
If the Villa number nine is to be played as a left-back once again – which is a choice that has resulted in murmurings of discontent among the Lionesses fanbase – this could well block Pacheco’s route into the England squad for the moment.
The 24-year-old has been a mainstay in Villa’s defence this season, making the left-back role her own amid competition from the likes of Danielle Turner, who has shifted to centre-back as a result.
Pacheco’s ability to get foward, use her nimble footwork and add to Villa’s attacking threat in the final third has been a brilliant addition to Ward’s squad this season. In recent games, she has forged a strong partnership with Kirsty Hanson down the left-flank and led ot suggestions that she may be named in the upcoming squad for England.
Having represented her country through all the age groups up to the Under-21s, a call-up under Wiegman is surely lingering on the horizon. But the longer the England manager sides with Daly at left-back for her country, the longer Pacheco will be left on the periphery of the first-team squad.
For now, the Villa full-back must bide her time and hope that Wiegmann sees the light.
In other Aston Villa news, Cameron Archer could be about to hit the goal trail for Middlesbrough amid an interesting stat reveal.