Key decisions facing Wiegman as the England meet ahead of World Cup
European Champions England are meeting up for the first time this summer ahead of their World Cup campaign.
The Lionesses begin their official preparation camp this week and will train at St George's Park for the next two weeks before taking on Portugal on July 1. That match, to be played at Milton Keynes, is the sides' final game before the long-haul flight Down Under.
Sarina Wiegman's team will look to complete a historic double when travelling to Australia for the finals, after beating Germany in the final of Euro 2022 at Wembley 12 months ago. They have since expanded their silverware collection, winning the first ever Women's Finalissima against Brazil under the famous arch, which followed on from another Arnold Clark Cup success.
But the Lionesses' preparation for their seventh World Cup have been overshadowed by injury problems. Both star forward Beth Mead and captain Leah Williamson will miss the tournament through ACL injuries.
Chelsea No.10 Fran Kirby, a key link in the side that won the Euros, also misses out having suffered a knee injury which requires surgery. Millie Bright hasn't played completely since March 22, while Lucy Bronze also missed a month of football towards the end of the season but the pair are included in Wiegman's 23-player squad.
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So here are the biggest issues surrounding the team that Wiegman needs to solve before their first game of the tournament against Haiti, now just over a month away in Brisbane.
Finding a back-up plan in defence
Sarina Wiegman addresses her sideWiegman said at the squad announcement last month that defender Millie Bright would be fit enough to start the tournament opener and that, as vice-captain, she will take the armband in Williamson's absence. But can the Chelsea star be at the top of her game from the word go?
Bright may still be able to get 'tournament ready', but it is still something of a gamble to take a player who hasn't played in so long and expect them to play such an important role. So Wiegman will need a back-up plan in the centre of defence.
Alex Greenwood will be expected to play alongside Bright, should the skipper be fit but if she has to sit-out the first game or two, someone will need to step-up.
Therefore it would make sense to give Lotte Wubben-Moy and the Chelsea duo of Niamh Charles and Jess Carter game-time in the centre of defence against Portugal. Should Bright have to withdraw from the squad before leaving for Australia, Maya Le Tissier would be promoted from the standby list.
What role will Beth England play?
Perhaps the biggest story of the squad announcement was the news of Beth England's recall to the Lionesses. England spent much of 2022-23 sidelined from international duty, with Wiegman omitting her from four squads in-a-row.
Her chances of making the World Cup looked, at best, slim. But a mid-season transfer to Tottenham from Chelsea gave her the game-time she desperately needed.
That proved a blessing. Recently England has looked firmly back to her best, hitting 12 goals in 12 games for the North Londoners and earning her way back into the World Cup picture.
Bethany England's form at Tottenham since January has seen her earn an England recall for the World CupBut how will Wiegman utilise her? Can she provide a genuine alternative to Alessia Russo and Rachel Daly, particularly with her runs in-behind opposition defences? Or will England purely be deployed as an impact forward from the bench?
England is bang in-form but still needs to impress over the next two weeks in training. Do that and she will have a great chance of some time on the pitch against Portugal.
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Which wingers will go to Australia as first-choice?
When selecting her wide forwards, Wiegman will have perhaps her toughest choice of the entire tournament. Chloe Kelly scored the goal that brought football home last summer and has had an outstanding season at Man City with her injury woes now behind her.
Lauren Hemp is one of the most exciting wingers in the game and was an ever-present in the Lionesses' side that triumphed on home soil. And how do you leave out Lauren James after her performances for England in 2023?
Lauren James has broken into the England squad over the last seasonOnly if Wiegman deployed Hemp as a 'false 9' as she did against the USA in November could all three start at the same time. But realistically one of them will be on the bench for the game against Haiti. All three will be keen to show what they can do against Portugal and with Brighton's Katie Robinson also competing for a starting place, the next two weeks could tell Wiegman a lot about who should start in the opening game.
Penetration from the wide areas was a key theme of England's tactical approach last summer. But with Beth Mead now missing from the side, the pressure is on Wiegman to find the winning forward combination.
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