England may be without one of their best attacking talents for the Euro 2025 final.
Lauren James has been instrumental in their success in Switzerland but an ankle issue could prevent her playing against Spain on Sunday.
James sustained an ankle knock in the first half of England’s semi-final win against Italy and had to be brought off at half-time by Sarina Wiegman, with Beth Mead replacing her on the right flank.
Wiegman has already made changes at Euro 2025 to get the best out of James, including introducing Ella Toone to the starting line-up to allow her to play in a more natural position out wide, but she may be forced into ripping up her plans once again.
Can England cope without James? Here are three ways Wiegman could alter her team for the final.
Reverting to playing Beth Mead
England have already played with a different setup at Euro 2025, using James in the middle in their defeat by France in their opening game.
Beth Mead played on the wing during that game, and, while it didn’t work out against France, with some fine-tuning it could potentially be the right fit for Spain.
The midfield trio of Grace Clinton, Keira Walsh and Toone could remain the same, allowing Toone to provide her attacking nous from her position just behind the front line.
With Mead out wide, England would have a pacier option going forwards, something which will likely be beneficial given the final is likely to be a far more transitional game, with the Lionesses having less of the ball and focusing on hitting their opponents on the break.
Mead being faster than James could help in defence, too, with the fact that she can track back, meaning she can provide back-up to their full-backs to prevent Spain being able to exploit what is arguably England’s weakest area.
Time for Chloe Kelly?
Using Chloe Kelly would be a similar switch to introducing Mead to the team, bringing in an out-and-out winger to replace James.
The benefits of using Kelly are equally similar to those of using Mead – she is quick, she is adept at hitting teams on the break, she can track back.
Mead and Kelly are slightly different in the sense that Mead is sometimes better in a more central role for the Lionesses, whereas Kelly is the better player when it comes to going down the flanks and sending crosses into the area.
If Wiegman sticks with the style of play she has used for much of the tournament so far, then Kelly is the better fit. If she opts to concentrate less on the wings and instead more on playing across the front line, then Mead is likely the right player for the job.
There is no doubt that Kelly has shown she is an excellent player at this tournament, assisting against Sweden and scoring against Italy and having a game-changing impact when she has been brought on.
However, Kelly’s exploits have all come from the bench and there is a definite argument to be made that she is more effective as an impact substitute than playing a full 90 minutes.
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Two up top with Michelle Agyemang
It would be a big departure from the style we have seen throughout Wiegman’s tenure, but one constant throughout times when England have had to make changes is that there have been clamours for her to switch to a formation which uses two players up top.
Could the Euro 2025 final be the right time to do it? If it is, then Michelle Agyemang’s displays off the bench seem to have shown that she would make the best strike partner for Alessia Russo.
The teenager has netted in both of England’s past two games, sparking the comebacks that got England to this stage. The way that she plays the game exudes a clear sense of energy and passion, her effort not seeming to wane throughout.
Another striker would help England to press Spain’s defence – their weakest area of the pitch – without exposing their midfield too much. It would also make the most of Russo’s ability to hold the ball up. Russo has not been able to have much luck in front of goal and has been frozen out by markers, but she has done the hold-up play effectively.
Agyemang’s style, though, is likely far better suited to playing from the bench rather than something which can be employed for a full 90. Wiegman regularly speaks about players as “starters and finishers” rather than starters and substitutes and Agyemang is the epitome of a finisher.
If James can’t be picked, she presents another good option for filling the void. James would be a big miss, but it is something England can cope with – and they have done that before.
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