Four big decisions Sarina Wiegman must make this week

Telegraph

2 days ago

England's game against Spain on Tuesday is the last chance for players to state their case for a place on the plane to this summer's Women's European Championship.
There are a number of key questions Sarina Wiegman must answer before she names her 23-player squad on Thursday.
There are fitness concerns over certain members of the squad, while a lack of experience may count against other players battling for a place in the team.
Telegraph Sport looks at the four big decisions Wiegman must make before she names the squad who will try to successfully defend England's European title in Switzerland next month.
Lauren James gamble
The biggest question mark hanging over the England squad is whether Lauren James will be fit. James is a unique player and undoubtedly a match-winner. On her day, she can be one of the best players in the world, but she has been hampered by injuries in the last couple of years.
The Chelsea forward has not played since picking up a hamstring injury in the Lionesses' 5-0 victory over Belgium in April and previously spent three months out with a calf injury between October and January.
Wiegman previously said she would be willing to take a risk on one player who may not be fully fit when she names her squad, but only one. She has indicated she is confident James will be ready.
'We're trying to get her fit,' Wiegman said. 'She's trying to get fit with all the support from Chelsea and us. She is doing really well. She needs to tick some boxes and progress. We need her to be fit and healthy and perform at her highest level.'
Defensive cover
England have struggled to play a settled back four throughout 2025 because of injuries and form.
Millie Bright would ordinarily be one of the first names in the Euros squad, but the defender withdrew from this camp because of physical and mental fatigue. Wiegman was unable to give any assurances that Bright will be ready for the tournament, but it would be a big shock if her name was not one of the 23 on the squad list on Thursday.
The likes of Leah Williamson, Lucy Bronze, Alex Greenwood and Jess Carter are all expected to be in the squad. The fact Esme Morgan started alongside Williamson against Portugal would indicate her place in the squad is probably assured, which leaves Maya Le Tissier, Niamh Charles and Lotte Wubben-Moy battling it out for the remaining places.
Manchester United captain Le Tissier was one of the best performers in the Women's Super League but has struggled for game time with England because Wiegman sees her as a right-back, when she plays centre-back at club level.
Asked about Le Tissier on Monday, Wiegman said: 'I think she can play both positions. With Manchester United she plays centre-back, for us she plays mainly as a right full-back. That is the position I see her, but I understand she can play centre-back, too.'
Charles, meanwhile, was at one point considered the first-choice left-back, but seems to have fallen down the pecking order after Wiegman started Carter in that position against Portugal.
Wubben-Moy missed a lot of the domestic season with Arsenal because of injuries and was a late call-up to the squad after Bright's withdrawal. She has, however, been to the last two major tournaments and would bring a positive influence to the dressing room.
Goalkeeping experience
The retirement of Mary Earps has left the Lionesses with a lack of experience in the goalkeeping department.
Hannah Hampton is now the undisputed No 1 but the two goalkeepers behind her, Khiara Keating and Anna Moorhouse, are both uncapped.
Wiegman was asked last week about the possibility of recalling Ellie Roebuck, who was part of the Euro 2022 and 2023 World Cup squads, but the goalkeeper has had limited game time after recovering from a stroke.
The England manager seemed to indicate she was satisfied with both Moorhouse and Keating's experience of high-level club games, while Bronze added on Monday: 'We have fantastic goalkeepers here and Mary has left such a great legacy that means they're all in a great position, that they're all prepared because they had such a great mentor in the past number of years to learn from.'
Is there room for a wild card?
Squads are capped at 23 players, so it will be hard for some of the new faces to force their way into the squad.
Michelle Agyemang, who scored 41 seconds into her debut in April, is the obvious candidate should Wiegman opt for a 'wild card'. Agyemang would bring the element of surprise, given opposition teams would know less about her because of her lack of senior-level experience, and going to a major tournament at a young age would also be beneficial for her development.
The forward, who spent last season on loan at Brighton from Arsenal, was an unused substitute against Portugal and so will be desperate for even a couple of minutes against Spain to state her case. Both she and the more experienced Nikita Parris could be possible standby options if they miss out on the squad.
Agyemang is also eligible to play in the Under-19s Euros this summer, but Uefa rules state she cannot play in that tournament as well as the senior competition.
How England's Euros squad is shaping up
On the plane Hannah Hampton, Khiara Keating, Anna Moorhouse, Leah Williamson, Lucy Bronze, Jess Carter, Alex Greenwood, Esme Morgan, Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway, Jess Park, Grace Clinton, Ella Toone, Alessia Russo, Lauren Hemp, Beth Mead, Chloe Kelly, Aggie Beever-Jones.
On the plane if fit Lauren James, Millie Bright.