Players pulling out and fears over morale — are Lionesses in crisis?

Times

5 days ago

One stalwart gone, another exhausted, several more not at full fitness, and questions over dressing-room morale: England are embarking on an unconventional route to a European title defence.
The Lionesses' preparation for Euro 2025 has been anything but textbook. Their tournament opener against France in Zurich comes as soon as July 5, but it is tough to know who will show up.
The clarity that does exist is unsettling. Mary Earps's sudden retirement from international football left some players unhappy and was received negatively by Sarina Wiegman, England's head coach. Out of nowhere, England are a Hannah Hampton injury away from starting an uncapped goalkeeper at the Euros.
It is understood that Earps's news provoked mixed reactions from her team-mates when she told them on Monday, and Wiegman said she was 'disappointed' in a statement on Tuesday morning. Publicly, the squad have projected a message of unity, though Wiegman will not speak on the matter until Thursday.
'It's been [only] a day, and it's kind of been fine,' Jess Carter, the England defender, said when asked about the mood in the camp on Tuesday. 'I think that we're well aware of what this job is asked of us and how hard and how intense it is.'
Yet that intensity is too much for at least one other senior player. On Monday, hours before Earps's revelation, Millie Bright pulled out of the England squad to 'undertake an extended period of recovery'.
Bright soon elaborated on her podcast Daly Brightness, which she co-hosts with her former England team-mate Rachel Daly. 'Mentally and physically, I'm probably at my limits. That is obviously why I'm not at camp, which is a really hard decision,' Bright, who won Euro 2022 and then captained England to the 2023 World Cup final, said.
'I think sometimes there are bigger things in life than sport. Right now, my mental health is something I'm a big believer in. Physically, I need to look after myself. I just need time to breathe and have a bit of headspace.
'It's been the most amazing season, but it's not been easy. Everyone always has a little tipping point and I tolerate a lot, but I think I'm at my tipping point.'
Bright has had a draining season with Chelsea, experiencing the exhilarating high of an invincible domestic treble and the crushing low of another Champions League loss to Barcelona. Moreover, prioritising mental health is increasingly common in sport and her honesty deserves commendation.
Still, her comments hardly indicate she is ready to marshal England's defence at a major tournament in five weeks. 'At my limits', 'There's bigger things in life than sport', 'At my tipping point'? Bright, 31, sounds like she has little to give this summer. On the podcast, she did not confirm whether she would be available for the Euros.
Ambiguity permeates England's build-up. Lauren James, their most gifted player, is a significant doubt because of a hamstring injury. Georgia Stanway, whose world-class abilities mask England's lack of midfield depth, is back in full training but has not played in 2025. Ella Toone has had her training modified since feeling some tightness while playing for Manchester United in World Sevens Football last week and although her issue is thought not to be serious, niggles from optional tournaments is a problem Wiegman needs like a hole in the head.
Then there's the constant threat of an ACL injury. They remain widespread in women's football, as the uncapped Ella Morris cruelly discovered by suffering one in England training this week.
Even discarding the fitness fears, who knows what will emerge next from the England camp? Earps's retirement proves figureheads can drop out abruptly, while Bright's candour suggests players will not sacrifice everything to represent the Lionesses.
England really could do with focusing on football rather than off-field turbulence. While they beat Spain and hammered Belgium at home this year, they faltered in Portugal and lost to Belgium in Leuven. The upcoming Nations League games against Portugal (on Friday) and Spain (next Tuesday) are the last competitive matches in which England can address their inconsistency before the Euros — an objective Carter alluded to when asked about Hampton.
'She's got a responsibility to step up and perform, but the other 25 players have as well,' Carter said. 'We've all got to do much better than what we have been.'
Lionesses' Euros run-in
Friday, May 30 England v Portugal, 7.45pm ITV4 Women's Nations League
Tuesday, June 3 Spain v England, 6pm ITV1 Women's Nations League
Sunday, June 29 England v Jamaica, 5pm ITV TBC International friendly
Of course, England are by no means out of Euros contention. Teams can overcome adversity to win major tournaments, as Spain displayed by lifting the 2023 World Cup in spite of internal conflict far more ingrained and ugly than whatever England are navigating. Meanwhile, that Wiegman has reached the final of all four major tournaments at which she has coached suggests she can unearth solutions when it matters.
However, she needs to guarantee harmony as well as devise tactics, and the Dutch coach will have the chance to set the tone when she speaks on Thursday. Will she expand on her disappointment over Earps's retirement? What's the message to a weary Bright? Can she assure supporters that another shock is not around the corner?
Before England can figure out how to beat France in 38 days' time, they have to recover a more primal quality: a semblance of certainty.
England v Portugal