European champions England return to action after three months away when taking on Korea Republic in the Arnold Clark Cup this week.
The Lionesses are set to ramp up preparations for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, with Sarina Wiegman 's team expected to head to Australia and New Zealand as one of the favourites when the tournament kicks off in July. England will play three games in the space of six days, starting with the Asian Cup runners-up in Milton Keynes on Thursday night. And the Lionesses boss has a fully fit squad to choose from, potentially barring Keira Walsh who has a stomach bug.
They then face Italy and Belgium in a round-robin format, in a replica of last year's format that saw the Lionesses triumph over Spain, Canada and Germany. All four teams are ranked inside the world's top 20 and Wiegman said last week she sees the competition as ideal preparation for greater challenges to come later this year.
After England play Belgium at Ashton Gate next Wednesday, they won't meet up again until April's Finalissima fixture against Brazil at Wembley. As the Lionesses return to action here are five things to look out for.
1. Can anyone nail down the number nine spot?
Since Ellen White's post-Euros retirement no one has truly made the number nine position their own. Alessia Russo is the natural candidate, finishing as the third highest scorer at the Euros and regularly replacing White as one of Wiegman's key 'finishers'.
But Russo missed the October international break squad through injury and subsequently hasn't been able to cement her place as the No.1 centre forward. But after she was the subject of a rejected world record bid from Arsenal last month, the Man Utd forward will be looking to show Wiegman she deserves to be in the first choice XI.
Rachel Daly was named in the squad as a defender, but made a scoring appearance as the number nine in the last game of 2022, a 1-1 draw against Norway. Daly has been scoring for fun in the WSL this season, while Lauren Hemp was successfully deployed centrally by Wiegman in the win over USA in October, England's best performance since the European Championships. These three games should tell us more about who goes into the World Cup leading the forward line.
2. Will Coombs get a chance after eight years away?
Laura Coombs' recall was arguably the biggest surprise in Wiegman's squad selection last week. The Man City midfielder has been in outstanding form in recent months, but having not played for England since 2015 under Mark Sampson, most - including Coombs - thought her international career was over.
Coombs, 32, is the oldest player in the Lionesses squad which has seen a couple of elder players retire since the Euros win - in White and Jill Scott. Her ability to control possession and break lines could mean the City midfielder suits Wiegman's system and she is expected to be receive some game time over the next week.
With Walsh an injury doubt for the opening game against Korea Republic, Coombs may get her chance sooner rather than later.
3. Can Lauren James become a guaranteed starter?
Chelsea's Lauren James is having one of her strongest seasons to date and her position in the squad was never in serious doubt. Her goal against Spurs in the WSL recently showcased pace and power that few other England players can match.
Chloe Kelly and Ebony Salmon will also be looking to fill the void left by Beth Mead's injury, but James could be in pole position based on her recent club form. Her game time at the last international break was minimal, but the 21-year-old will surely see plenty of action with England required to play three games in the space of six days.
Is this her chance to stake a claim for a starting XI place with the World Cup finals only months away?
4. Can Wiegman maintain midas touch?
Incredibly Wiegman is still yet to lose a game since taking the reins as England manager in September 2021. Not only that, England have very rarely even trailed in a game since the Dutchwoman took charge, Spain in the Euros quarter-final a notable exception.
But it might not be a bad thing for the Lionesses to go behind in one of these three games, or face some general adversity throughout the tournament. We haven't had the chance to see how this group will react to going behind and if tested it could tell Wiegman more about her group than a series of routine wins.
Korea in particular will pose a stern test on Thursday night and England will need to be on top of their game from the first whistle. Can Wiegman successfully navigate this tournament with her unbeaten record intact, but yet still experiment with her team at the same time? We're about to find out.
5. Will Bright rediscover her Arnold Clark Cup goalscoring form?
Last year Millie Bright managed to secure the tournament's Golden Boot after scoring in games against Canada and Germany. If the centre-half can retain that particular individual crown this time around it would be nothing short of a miracle.
But Bright said last month she is keen to keep adding goals to her game. Can lightning strike twice and will we see the most unlikely golden boot winner in history repeat her feat from 12 months ago once again?
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