The reigning European champions are currently without Alex Greenwood, Georgia Stanway and Lauren James, with it unclear when any will return…
Hopeful. That's the word England boss Sarina Wiegman has been using for several months now when asked about the situations of Lauren Hemp, Alex Greenwood and Georgia Stanway. None have kicked a ball in a competitive fashion in 2025, but all three are crucial for a Lionesses side that will be out to defend their European Championship title in little over two months' time. Will they be ready for that tournament? "I hope they’ll be back," Wiegman said earlier this month. "I can’t give any timings. We just have a lot of hopes that they’ll be back and performing and healthy, and be able to train."
On Sunday, England were given a real boost in that department when Nick Cushing, Manchester City's interim boss, confirmed that Hemp will be in the squad to face Leicester City in the Women's Super League this coming weekend. The flying winger was the first of that aforementioned trio to undergo knee surgery, back in November. It was expected that she would be back by now, but that she will return before the season is out, and thus hopefully be able to get some minutes under her belt, is a real positive.
However, that her anticipated comeback has coincided with the news of a hamstring injury for Lauren James leaves England almost exactly where they were – with three huge players on the sidelines as the Euros moves closer and closer. Is it time for Wiegman and the Lionesses to be seriously worried?
Getty ImagesRace against time
As it stands, it's unclear whether Greenwood and Stanway, who had knee surgeries in December and January, respectively, will follow in the footsteps of Hemp and return to action before the season is out. Greenwood's Man City have just three games left in their season, which concludes at home to Crystal Palace on May 10, while Stanway's Bayern Munich will play the final of their four remaining matches the following day. If they're going to make those comebacks, there are not many games left for them to get minutes under their belts in.
England's next games come in the international break that begins at the end of May, with Portugal visiting Wembley on May 30 before a trip to Barcelona to take on Spain comes on June 3. Given what is at stake in those matches, as the final two fixtures of the Nations League group stage, they will likely be occasions that require full strength XIs and a need to win, rather than opportunities to get players up to speed.
And then there is just one pre-Euros friendly lined up for the Lionesses, against Jamaica on June 29. Given the number of key players England have that are likely to need minutes in their legs before the tournament begins, it is a bit of a surprise that another official match hasn't been arranged, as those could have been crucial for players like Greenwood, Stanway and James.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesCurtailing important experiment
One could argue that Greenwood's absence is the biggest at the moment for England, given she presented a potential solution to the ongoing left-back issue when Wiegman experimented with her and Jess Carter in a fluid, interchangeable left side of defence back in November. At that time, Niamh Charles was sidelined, meaning the Lionesses were without their go-to starter. She is back now, though she is struggling for starts at Chelsea ahead of an in-form Sandy Baltimore.
Former City head coach Gareth Taylor expected Greenwood to be back after the February international break, at some point in the month of March. Yet, as the final three fixtures of the club's season approach, she is still not in line for an imminent return. Charles' availability softens some of the blow for England here, but there's no doubt Wiegman would like to have been able to experiment more with Greenwood and Carter ahead of the Euros. Charles' struggles in the recent defeat to Belgium certainly served as a reminder of the lack of depth in that position, too.
Getty ImagesPositives and negatives in midfield
In midfield, Grace Clinton's impressive performances have helped to limit the negative impact of Stanway's absence, though never entirely. The Bayern Munich star is one of the best box-to-box players in the women's game, and to be without her has been a blow for the German champions, who were handily beaten by Lyon in their Champions League quarter-final last month.
England will hope they can count on Stanway as their European competition comes around, though her turnaround from surgery in late January is the tightest. Wiegman has started to look at other options in the deeper midfield roles, where the Lionesses are not blessed with as much depth, while injuries to promising youngsters Laura Blindkilde Brown and Ruby Mace have only added salt to England's wounds in this department.
Fortunately, Clinton has stepped up well, adapting to a slightly different role and delivering some good performances. Still, the Lionesses would certainly like to let the relatively inexperienced 22-year-old go into the Euros without too much pressure on her shoulders in that midfield, while welcoming back a top-quality player, in Stanway, who has played a key part in recent successes.
Getty Images SportGame-changers absent
When it comes to James – and Hemp, who still needs to build her fitness back up after five months on the sidelines – a lack of positional depth isn't really a factor. Their absences do hit hard, though, because of their game-changing qualities and remarkable talent. Of course, this also applies to Stanway and Greenwood, but if we're talking about tight games against the best teams in Europe, it's players like James and Hemp that can provide moments that make the difference in a result.
England would still go into this summer's tournament with some top quality wide players even if Hemp and James, whose hamstring injury there is little detail about, weren't available. Chloe Kelly has been superb since her January switch to Arsenal, club-mate Beth Mead has provided some stand-out moments in recent weeks and Aggie Beever-Jones is impressing more and more as a Lioness.
But most would argue that James and Hemp go into England's strongest XI. Stanway would also fit in there and plenty would assert that Greenwood should, too. That's three or four key starters for the Lionesses that might not be at the top level when the Euros begin.
