When I saw England against Belgium in the Arnold Clark Cup in Bristol, in February, I thought to myself: this is probably the best national team in the world at the moment and I had the Lionesses as pretty clear favourites going into the World Cup. Injuries mean, sadly, that has changed, but they are certainly one of the eight teams that could reach the quarter-final stage and go on to win the trophy.
As Arsenal manager, I fully understand the effect of losing Beth Mead and Leah Williamson. Anyone watching the Euros last year could see how significant a role those two had. The key to looking at just how disruptive their absence will be for England is to look at their positions.
