Eyes to the future: Lauren James is hotly tipped
(Picture: The FA via Getty Images)Last summer, Sarina Wiegman became the first manager to win the men's or women's Euros by naming the same line-up in every game.
With this summer's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand on the horizon, the Lionesses' tight-knit group remains, but ahead of tonight's Arnold Clark Cup opener against South Korea in Milton Keynes, a handful of seats on the plane are still unreserved.
England remain unbeaten under their Dutch coach since her first game in September 2021, so Wiegman need not change much. But veteran midfielder Jill Scott and record scorer Ellen White retired after the Euros, leaving holes that the manager must fill.
The right-back berth has not had a permanent tenant under Wiegman and one option is Maya Le Tissier (no relation to Matt) of Manchester United. The versatile 20-year-old defender holds the record for most WSL appearances as a teenager and made her England senior debut in the November draw with Norway. Three years her senior is Chelsea's Niamh Charles. She has been a sporadic England squad player since 2021, with four caps, but has impressed this term.
Since Scott retired, only Georgia Stanway and Keira Walsh (a doubt tonight with a stomach bug) remain central midfield certs, opening the door for new faces. One hopeful is Jordan Nobbs, who has 69 caps and played at the 2015 World Cup and Euro 2017. Injury has ravaged her career, and having left Arsenal for more game time at Aston Villa, the World Cup is her target.
United's Katie Zelem, the box-to-box workhorse with five caps, is also in contention. The outside shout is 32-year-old Laura Coombs of Manchester City, who is back in the England squad for the first time in nearly three years.
White's retirement leaves only Alessia Russo among strikers with more than one foot on the plane. Ebony Salmon, 22, and Katie Robinson, 20, will see space for themselves — but Wiegman may only see space for Chelsea's enigmatic 21-year-old, Lauren James.
