England's James ready for Euros opener with France, says Wiegman
She returned for the Lionesses with a substitute appearance in Sunday's 7-0 hammering of Jamaica -- showing her class with a stunning assist for Alessia Russo -- and Wiegman hinted the forward might even start the Group D clash in Zurich on Saturday.
"Yeah, the team looks really good. I think we're ready. We had our last session this morning and everyone came through well," Wiegman told reporters.
"She's (James) in a good place of course. As you've noticed she came on the pitch against Jamaica last week and she's ready to get more minutes tomorrow.
"We're not going to give you the line-up but she played 30 minutes last week, so she can play more than that. So, I think that will say enough."
England have had some turbulence in the lead up to the Euros in Switzerland, with goalkeeper Mary Earps and midfielder Fran Kirby retiring from international football, albeit in differing circumstances.
And centre-back Millie Bright, who captained England to a first Women's World Cup final in 2023, also withdrew herself from selection due to physical and mental fatigue.
But fellow defender Leah Williamson, a Champions League winner with Arsenal in May, is raring to go after missing out on their run to the World Cup final two years ago with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
"I've probably had some anxiety I suppose, up until this moment, just because I wanted to be here and I wanted to be with the team," Williamson said.
"I wanted to experience another tournament for England and being away from home is special when you come to another country to represent your country... So I'm just taking everything in. I'm very excited."
France, who have also waved goodbye to influential figures in Wendie Renard and Eugenie Le Sommer, will be without captain Griedge Mbock who has picked up a calf injury and missed team training on Friday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Hansen shoots Norway to brink of Euro 2025 quarter-finals
Barcelona star Hansen snatched the three points in Sion with a mishit cross six minutes before the end to keep Norway top of Group with a perfect six points. Gemma Grainger's side will become the first team to reach the last eight if Iceland fail to beat hosts Switzerland in Bern later on Sunday. Norway looked set to dominate when Eva Nystrom diverted Hansen's low cross into her own net, and they were unlucky not be two ahead midway through the first half after striking the woodwork twice in the space of a minute. First, Ingrid Engen nodded Vilde Boe Risa's probing cross onto the post in the 24th minute. Then, Finland goalkeeper Anna Koivunen tipped an inswinging corner onto the upright. Koivunen pulled off two more superb stops four minutes later, tipping away Hansen's low drive before charging out to deny Ada Hegerberg just as it looked like the former Ballon d'Or winner was certain to net from close range. Koivunen's goalkeeping heroics were rewarded in the 32nd minute when Oona Sevenius kept her head on the edge of the penalty box to guide home a superb leveller. Finland suddenly looked far more likely to take the points, with Eveliina Summanen denied a brilliant goal when Norway goalkeeper Cecilie Fiskerstrand tipped a shot onto the post. Hansen seemed to have missed her chance to win the match for Norway in the 82nd minute when she blasted over from point-blank range. She made up moments later when she skipped past two Finnish defenders, burst into the box, evaded two more players and lofted the ball in off the post. © 2025 AFP
France 24
4 hours ago
- France 24
Norris in dream land after epic home win at Silverstone
The beaming 25-year-old Briton claimed his maiden home triumph in stirring fashion to trim Piastri's lead in the drivers' world title race to eight points after the Australian was handed a 10-second penalty for driving erratically while leading behind the safety car. Piastri was understandably aggrieved at the stewards' decision and requested that McLaren instructed Norris to swap positions with him, but he was told the team would not issue any team orders. "I don't really understand it," he said of the penalty meted out after he caused Max Verstappen of Red Bull to overtake him shortly before a re-start that saw the Dutchman slide off-track and drop eight positions. "I need to look back and see it again because I don't think I did anything different or anything wrong," he said. "I mean I did what I did at the first re-start and, apparently, one needed a penalty and other didn't." Piastri's misery, after McLaren's fifth 1-2 of the season, was Norris's joy as he celebrated with his family and friends after surviving a testing afternoon of torrential rain, multiple safety car interventions and collisions in treacherous conditions. 'Incredible race' "It's beautiful," said Norris. "Everything I dreamed of, I guess. Everything I've ever wanted to achieve. Apart from a championship, I think this is as good as it gets in terms of feelings and in terms of achievement, being proud, all of it. "This is where it all started for me, I was actually watching on TV many years ago and now thankfully I've been able to have my go. "An incredible race, stressful as always, but the support from the fans -- it made the difference today so I've got to thank them for it all. "The last few laps, I was just looking into the crowd. I was just trying to take it all in, enjoy the moment, because it might never happen again. "I hope it does, but these are memories that I'll bring with me forever. An incredible achievement." The McLaren drivers congratulated each other and the team, Piastri describing his car as a rocket-ship. "With all the safety cars and everything, to win by such a big margin is impressive," he said of their 34-second lead ahead of third-placed Nico Hulkenberg of Sauber. At the midway point in this year's 24-race championship, after 12 races, Piastri leads with 234 points ahead of Norris on 226 and Verstappen on 165 while in the constructors' title race McLaren lead with 460 to Ferrari on 222 and Mercedes on 210. It was McLaren's first home triumph at Silverstone since seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton won in 2008. For Norris, it was a first home win, his fourth win of the year and the eighth of his career. For Hulkenberg, 37, and in his 16th season, finishing third delivered his long-awaited first podium in his 239th race, but also ended Hamilton's run of 12 podiums in his home event.
France 24
4 hours ago
- France 24
Dutch powerhouse Van der Poel takes Tour de France lead
The victory saw the Dutch rider take the lead in the overall standings after depriving Pogacar of his 100th career win as around 30 riders broke away in the final 2km. It was a second Tour de France stage win for Van der Poel, who took the yellow jersey from his teammate Jasper Philipsen -- the winner of Saturday's opening stage. Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard seemed at ease as he crossed the line in third with Frenchman Romain Gregoire fourth and his compatriot Julian Alaphilippe fifth. Van der Poel also won stage two on the 2021 Tour de France and then dug deep to retain the yellow jersey for six gruelling days. "Winning again four years after the last time, that's just great. In recent years I tried to get here on top form but never quite did," said Van der Poel, adding that racing the recent Criterium du Dauphine had done the trick. "I also watched a video of the final kilometre three times this morning and knew exactly how to take it." The Dutch rider is the grandson of French cycling legend Raymond Poulidor, who came second in the Tour de France seven times, but never won and also never got to wear the yellow jersey. "It was more emotional last time because he (Poulidor) had just died. I had so wanted to win it while he was still alive," said Van der Poel. Poulidor's grandson had punched the ground and screamed wildly on realising he had taken the jersey on his previous Tour de France stage win at the Mur de Bretagne. There were no such scenes this time. "I had a feeling I could win the stage today but taking the yellow jersey is a nice bonus," said Van der Poel, normally better suited to the ultra-long Monument races, of which he won Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix this season. His teammate Philipsen may have lost the yellow jersey, but he will set off Monday wearing the green one assigned to the peloton's best sprinter. Defending champion Pogacar was also invited onto the podium due to the points he won atop the four hills of the day's stage that saw him earn the right to don the polka-dot king of the mountains tunic. Team UAE's Slovenian rider is second in the overall standings, with Visma's Vingegaard just two seconds behind him in third. Stolen bikes and heavy rain The race got going as Pogacar and Vingegaard tested each other over the final 20km with three short, sharp climbs on narrow roads. That struggle blew up a peloton that had been largely sedate until then. Heavy rain left giant puddles at the tiny start town of Lauwin Planque as the 182 riders set off on the 209km run towards the coastal port. Regional police estimated that one million spectators had lined the roadsides on the opening day of action, but the rain dissuaded that kind of turnout on Sunday. French team Cofidis had to scramble Sunday morning as they had 11 bikes stolen from a team truck during the night. Monday's third stage is a 178km flat run to Dunkirk, where a mass bunch sprint is expected unless the peloton gets splintered by winds as it did on stage one. The first section of the Tour is raced through the north and west of France. The volcanic landscape of the Puy de Dome present the first mountains as late as stage 10, with two more colossal climb days in the Pyrenees before the blockbuster final week in the Alps.
