What are main questions facing England before Euros?

BBC News

2 days ago

Sarina Wiegman said last week she was "still figuring out a couple of things" when it came to choosing her England starting XI for the defence of their European title.But with five days to go until the Lionesses kick-off in Switzerland, the England manager's line-up for their final game before the Uefa European Women's Championship surely gave a strong hint to what she has in mind.England waved goodbye to home supporters at King Power Stadium on Sunday with a 7-0 thrashing of Jamaica.They fly to Switzerland on Monday ready for Euro 2025, with their opening group game against France taking place on Saturday at 20:00 BST in Zurich.So which players look to have secured their place in the starting XI? Is there enough experience in the squad? And are England confident of success?
Do we know Wiegman's starting XI yet?
England's win over Jamaica was the last opportunity for players to impress - and Jess Carter and Ella Toone certainly did that, while Lauren James and Georgia Stanway got crucial minutes.One of the biggest questions going into the Euros has been the fitness of Chelsea forward James, but she gave Wiegman a boost by playing 27 minutes against Jamaica - her first appearance for club or country since April following a hamstring injury - and providing a clever assist.Bayern Munich midfielder Stanway scored against Jamaica, but perhaps more crucially has now played 90 minutes for the first time this year after knee surgery in January ruled her out for the remainder of the domestic campaign.Carter, one of three US-based players who joined up late with England as they continued their league seasons, is among those fighting for the left-back spot and she was given the nod on Sunday.Last week, she said she "panicked a little bit" when she saw the level of intensity in training and said she would need to "step up" and "give Wiegman a headache".And she certainly did that. The Gotham FC defender put in a crucial last-ditch challenge in the first half before later teeing up Lucy Bronze's header to make it 2-0, as she impressed in defence and attack.Former England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley described it is a "standout" display from Carter, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: "She should be very pleased and very proud of her performance today."Wiegman says England have "at least two players in every position" but one of the most competitive areas is in midfield.She tends to play with three in midfield and has trust in the deeper pairing of Stanway and Keira Walsh. This is likely to continue now Stanway has 190 minutes under her belt from England's past three matches.The main spot up for grabs is the creative number 10 role which has been occupied by James, Toone, Jess Park and Grace Clinton in the past two years.Manchester United's Toone was given the nod against Jamaica and instantly impressed, scoring within 10 minutes - the goal capping a passing move involving the three midfielders - and doubled her tally before half-time.Toone was one of England's go-to super-subs at Euro 2022 so Wiegman knows she can count on her and Bardsley said "the fact she's adding goals at this time is really exciting for England".Wiegman also has to pick her front three. Whether James is fit enough to start against France is one question. If not, who does Wiegman select?Chloe Kelly and Beth Mead have been battling each other for the right-wing position for both Arsenal and England but the latter started against Jamaica, having finished Euro 2022 as the tournament's top scorer and best player, so seems to be slightly ahead in the pecking order.Alessia Russo is certain to start as England's main striker and Aggie Beever-Jones looks to have cemented her position as the favoured back-up option, getting another opportunity - and scoring again - on Sunday, with teenager Michelle Agyemang yet to add to her one and only England appearance.
Key injuries & losing experience - how balanced is the squad?
England lost three experienced players in the build-up to the tournament. Goalkeeper Mary Earps and midfielder Fran Kirby retired, although only the former would have been going to Switzerland, while defender Millie Bright - who captained England to the 2023 Women's World Cup final - withdrew saying she was not 100% mentally or physically.Bright had formed a key centre-back partnership with Williamson in England's Euro 2022 success and started every game in Australia but there is solid back-up with Manchester City captain Greenwood recovering from injury in time to step in.There is also depth in the squad at the centre-back position with Manchester United captain Maya Le Tissier waiting for an opportunity, and Arsenal's Lotte Wubben-Moy has played alongside Williamson a number of times at club level.The three absentees have 218 caps between them - so a question of whether their experience will be missed is valid.There are seven players in the squad making their major tournament debut for England - and among them are two uncapped goalkeepers in Khiara Keating and Anna Moorhouse. Number one Hannah Hampton has just 15 appearances for England.However, there remains a strong core of the World Cup squad with 133-cap Bronze, experienced defender Greenwood and midfield duo Toone and Walsh among the leaders in the group.Russo is an ever-present, having led England's attacking line since Ellen White's retirement in 2022 and she goes to Switzerland in superb form, fresh from winning both the WSL's Golden Boot and the Champions League with Arsenal.Manchester City forward Hemp has also returned from a knee injury and has looked sharp in recent appearances despite not playing a full 90 minutes yet.There's a nice blend between exciting young talent and enough experienced players in the squad not to trouble Wiegman.The major concern, however, is what happens if goalkeeper Hampton gets injured or suspended during the tournament?Asked about the other uncapped goalkeepers, Wiegman said on Saturday: "They have played on a very high level for their clubs in front of big crowds. I'm convinced all three of them are ready to go."
'We're really confident in the squad'
With the sudden exits of Earps, Bright and Kirby weeks before the start of the Euros, it appeared to be a chaotic build-up and led to some questioning the mood in the camp."Coming from within the camp to now being outside, I can see why people have been talking about this a lot and there is a feeling of unrest," Brighton midfielder Fran Kirby told BBC World Service's Sportsworld."But everyone respected the decisions those players made and it just moved on. There was a lot more noise on the outside. It's interesting being on the other side."In the squad, everyone is very confident. Everyone knows what an amazing squad we have. We have a lot of depth."I'm not concerned about the loss of us three. It always happens in international football. There is a transition period with younger players coming in."There has also been uncertainty around the fitness of key quartet James, Greenwood, Hemp and Stanway.With all four featuring against Jamaica, it provided a significant boost and FA chief executive Mark Bullingham was positive about England's chances last week."In a perfect world, we would rather have had them playing for at least half a season but that is not a reality," said Bullingham."We're really confident in the squad we've got going to the Euros."