While the likes of Hannah Hampton, Leah Williamson and Alessia Russo are shoo-ins to start this summer, other positions remain up for grabs…
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As England prepare to defend their title at this summer's European Championship, there are plenty of reasons to believe the Lionesses can lift that trophy again on July 27. Sarina Wiegman's side are blessed with depth in a lot of positions and go into the tournament with one of the strongest squads on show, despite the high-profile absences of Mary Earps, Millie Bright and Fran Kirby.
That depth, though, does create some selection headaches for Wiegman, with her simply spoiled for choice in certain areas. The two-time European champion has a reputation as a coach who doesn't like to tinker too much with her best XI, but it wouldn't be a surprise if she does rotate in particular positions given the variety and quality she has to pick from.
In some roles, however, this is not the case. As Wiegman ponders just what her starting line-up will look like when England open their title defence against France on July 5, there are still a few solutions she needs to find, with Sunday's send-off friendly against Jamaica set to provide a testing ground for some of these issues.
What decisions does the Lionesses boss still need to make then? GOAL looks at some of the roles still up for grabs as the Euros near…
Getty ImagesWilliamson's centre-back partner
Six months ago, few would've anticipated the centre-back position next to Leah Williamson being up for huge debate. Bright, in the middle of one of her best individual seasons for Chelsea, seemed nailed on to start alongside the England captain, especially with Alex Greenwood's fitness in doubt after she underwent knee surgery in December. Even if Greenwood was to return to action in time, the Manchester City star has struggled to be a regular in Wiegman's XI in the last two years, so most would've banked on the Lionesses going into Euro 2025 with the same centre-back duo that helped deliver the title three years ago.
However, the picture looks quite different now. Shortly after Greenwood returned to action, Bright ruled herself out of the tournament, citing mental and physical fatigue, meaning the occupant of that left centre-back spot is up in the air. Esme Morgan played there against Portugal in late May, with Greenwood taking the spot a few days later in Spain. Jess Carter, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Maya Le Tissier are all centre-backs in the squad too, though the latter is seen more as a right-back by Wiegman.
Greenwood would be the front-runner at this point, but given she felt like that at this point before Euro 2022 only to be left out, nothing is guaranteed.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesLeft-back
Slightly intertwined with the uncertainty at centre-back is the lack of clarity at left-back. It has been Niamh Charles' position to lose for a while now, but when the Chelsea star was sidelined during the first half of last season with a shoulder injury, Wiegman opted to try something a little bit different. Against the United States, Greenwood and Carter fluidly interchanged at left centre-back and left-back, given the former came through as a full-back and the latter is capable of playing there.
Charles resumed her duties at left-back when she returned earlier this year, until Wiegman played Carter in the role in the win over Portugal at the end of May. The Gotham defender was impressive, approaching the challenge in a more positive and attacking manner than on previous occasions, though Charles was restored to the XI for the trip to Spain a few days later.
It may all hinge on the centre-back decision, too. If Greenwood wins the job next to Williamson, there might be games where Wiegman opts to deploy Carter on the left in order to have that interchangeable aspect. Equally, there might be games where she prefers to have the more auxiliary full-back approach of Charles. Or, perhaps she will settle on one option and stick with it throughout.
Getty Images SportCreative No.10
There is no position in Wiegman's XI more up for grabs than the No.10 role. It's a position Ella Toone has long held down, since emerging as a super-sub there at Euro 2022, but she now has serious competition for it from Grace Clinton, her Manchester United team-mate, and Jess Park, the Man City starlet.
It's Park who has started more often in there in recent games, though amid Toone nursing a knock and Clinton occupying a deeper role while Georgia Stanway was recovering from knee surgery. Now that Stanway is back, while Clinton could still be used as an impact sub in that No.8 role, her best chance of starting regularly at Euro 2025 is certainly as an attacking midfielder.
Lauren James may also be in the mix, if indeed she is fit to play a part after a recent hamstring issue. It was as a No.10 that the Chelsea forward really shone at the 2023 Women's World Cup and although that did come in a 3-5-2 formation, she is still a potential option.
Getty ImagesRight wing
The position on the right of England's front three might not be much of a debate if indeed James is ready to go when Euro 2025 begins. If that turns out to be the case, many will expect the Chelsea star to start most games, if not all, on the right, with Lauren Hemp likely doing the same on the left. However, there are a lot of 'ifs' being used here.
Also in contention to start on both sides are Chloe Kelly and Beth Mead. Both prefer to be used on the right and are arguably at their most effective there, while the uncertainties around James mean there is likely to be more opportunity to stake a place to start on that flank, as opposed to being more of a regular sub to relieve Hemp on the left.
After signing for Arsenal on loan in January, Kelly enjoyed a fantastic second half of the season, so much so that it often reduced Mead to a bench role in the big moments. However, Mead still started often enough and was able to produce her magic, most notably with her match-winning assist in the Champions League final. It's hard to say either is ahead of the other in the pecking order.