Sarina Wiegman insisted that entering the final 17 months of her contract as England’s head coach was not a distraction, as she named her first squad of 2026 and recalled the fit-again captain, Leah Williamson, for the side’s meetings with Ukraine and Iceland next month.
Williamson’s fellow Euro 2025 winners Hannah Hampton, Alex Greenwood and Lauren James have also been recalled after injuries, along with Jess Carter, who missed England’s final matches of 2025 to recover from the NWSL playoffs. However, the Lionesses are without Ella Toone, Beth Mead, Niamh Charles and Missy Bo Kearns because of injury as the team get their 2027 World Cup qualifying campaign under way.
