Embarrassment for England! 'Human mistake' prevents Lucy Bronze coming on as substitute in Lionesses' friendly win over Switzerland

The 33-year-old right-back, who was poised to join the action in the final ten minutes at Bramall Lane, had to retreat to the bench despite being fully prepared in her full England kit. With Bronze unable to enter the field, defender Jess Carter was called upon as a substitute instead.

England manager Sarina Wiegman later explained that Bronze was excluded because her name was mistakenly omitted from the official team sheet, making her ineligible to participate.

Speaking to ITV Sport after her team's 1-0 victory, Wiegman stated: "Yes, that was a moment where she was not on the list. So there had been a mistake, unfortunately, a human mistake, and we found out there. We still wanted to bring her on the pitch but unfortunately, she couldn't go (on) so that was really frustrating — of course the most for herself — but we couldn’t change it.”

The International Football Association Board's (IFAB) regulations state that only players listed on the official team sheet may participate in the game. Any individual not included is considered an "outside agent," disqualifying them from taking part.

The friendly against Switzerland saw England field a relatively inexperienced lineup, with Wiegman making wholesale changes to the squad that had drawn 0-0 against the United States Women's National Team just days prior at Wembley. Grace Clinton scored the game's only goal in the first half, securing the Lionesses' victory. The match also marked the senior debuts of Ruby Mace and Laura Blindkilde Brown, as Wiegman used the opportunity to test new players and the squad depth.

The Lionesses are set to return to action in February when they kick off their Nations League campaign against Portugal.