England’s friendly against Germany at Wembley on October 25 will inevitably evoke memories of the Lionesses’ Euros victory against the same opponents two years ago.
But as Sarina Wiegman’s side enter the next stage of preparations for their European Championship defence in Switzerland next summer, has England’s squad progressed enough since that historic major tournament success?
On Tuesday, Wiegman names her latest England squad for the upcoming friendlies against Germany and South Africa. The Lionesses will also face the United States and Switzerland before the end of the year.
England qualified automatically for Euro 2025 in July, emerging from a tough qualifying group along with France and ahead of Sweden and the Republic of Ireland.
Recent performances have not always been the most convincing, however, and there are a few questions facing Wiegman ahead of her latest squad announcement.
Kelly could fall in competition for places
Perhaps the biggest decision Wiegman will have to make ahead of facing Germany is whether she selects England’s Euro 2022 final hero Chloe Kelly. The 26-year-old winger has fallen out of favour at Manchester City and has started just two of their seven games of the season. Gareth Taylor, the City manager, also left Kelly on the bench as an unused substitute in this week’s wins over Barcelona and Liverpool.
Kelly has not always been a regular starter for Wiegman, either, but the England manager has used her as an impact replacement to considerable success over the last couple of years. Wiegman knows that it is hard to justify selection if a player is not receiving minutes at club, and Kelly’s place in the England squad is at risk given the options England have among the forward positions and those who are pushing for a ticket to Switzerland.
At 21, Aggie Beever-Jones enjoyed a breakthrough season for Chelsea last campaign, scoring 11 goals for the champions in the Women’s Super League. The winger made her England debut in July, coming on for the final three minutes of the 2-1 win over Ireland, but there is a feeling Beever-Jones getting a proper chance for England is long overdue. At the other end of the scale, Fran Kirby, 31, has made an excellent start to the season with Brighton after her exit from Chelsea.
Elsewhere, Lauren James, Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo and Beth Mead are available but the golden boot winner of England’s Euros triumph has not been the same devastating force since she returned from the anterior cruciate ligament injury that ruled her out of the World Cup. The retirement of Rachel Daly in April left a hole at No 9 which has yet to be filled, but Wiegman has preferred to use a versatile option such as Hemp as back-up to Russo.
Hannah Hampton now England’s No 1?
There was shock in St James’ Park when Mary Earps suffered a hip injury just seven minutes into her 50th England appearance against France in May. But the sight of the two-time Fifa Best women’s goalkeeper limping off may have ushered in a new chapter for England under Wiegman, as Hannah Hampton was promoted and played the remainder of the Euro qualifying campaign, despite Earps returning to fitness.
With Earps now leaving the WSL to join Paris Saint-Germain, where the French club suffered elimination in the Champions League play-offs to Juventus, it is Hampton who is the standout English goalkeeper in the top-flight. After claiming her place at Chelsea and winning her first WSL title, Hampton has grown in stature. She also recorded a higher save percentage than Earps last season and arguably offers England better distribution from the back.
Still, handing Hampton the No 1 spot remains a big decision, particularly given Earps’ popularity among the England support. When it comes to third choice, Khiara Keating was on a promising trajectory after an impressive breakthrough season at Manchester City, but the 20-year-old has now slipped behind new signing and Japan international Ayaka Yamashita.
Is lack of form in defence a concern?
If Wiegman was at the Emirates for Chelsea’s win over Arsenal on Saturday then the England manager may have been watching through her fingers. At one end, Chelsea forward Mayra Ramirez repeatedly tore through Arsenal’s defence of Leah Williamson and Lotte Wubben-Moy. At the other, Arsenal’s only avenue of threat came from winger Caitlin Foord consistently having the beating of England right back Lucy Bronze.
The start of the season has been particularly tough for Williamson, with Arsenal’s poor defending highlighted in the damaging defeats to Bayern Munich and Chelsea last week. Like Mead, the England captain hasn’t quite returned to her best since she was ruled out of the World Cup with an anterior cruciate ligament injury but she was trusted by Wiegman to start five of England’s six Euro 2025 qualifiers.
The return of Millie Bright to full fitness is a boost, while it would not have gone unnoticed that Alex Greenwood was helping Manchester City keep a clean sheet in their 2-0 win over Barcelona just as Williamson and Arsenal conceded five in Munich. For whatever reason, though, Wiegman has seemed hesitant of late to play Bright and Greenwood in a back four. And with two clean sheets in eight internationals this year, there is little to suggest Wiegman should stick to the same formula.
Time for more new faces in Wiegman’s squad?
Since Wiegman took charge of England, the Football Association has worked to create more of a bridge between the Under-23s and the Senior squads. Beever- Jones and Keating both made the jump, as have midfielders Grace Clinton and Jess Park and defender Maya Le Tissier.
With England playing two friendly double-headers before the end of the year, there may be more room for Wiegman to experiment. The Lionesses will likely be at full strength for the Wembley matches against top-ranked opposition in Germany and the United States, but the games against South Africa and Switzerland could offer the chance to bring some new faces into the team. Clinton and Park have both shown how beneficial a fresh face can be with their performances in midfield in Euro 2024 qualifying.
Naomi Layzell moved to Manchester City from Bristol City in the summer and scored her first goal against European champions Barcelona in last week’s 2-0 win. The 20-year-old centre-back has reportedly caught the eye of Wiegman, while Missy Bo Keans was named on an England standby list in the summer after captaining the Under-23s. She is now a regular for Aston Villa after leaving Liverpool.