August 19th 2023.
Lauren James is set to make her return to the England squad for the Women's World Cup final against Spain. The former Lionesses star was sent off in the last 16 clash with Nigeria and has been banned from the quarter and semi-finals as a result. Despite her absence, England have managed to make it to the final, beating Colombia in the last eight and then Australia in the semi-finals.
The big question now is whether England manager Sarina Wiegman should bring James back into the starting XI. Fara Williams, who won 177 caps for England, believes it is the right decision. She commented “It’s really difficult, because now we have the return of Lauren James. There’s a question mark over whether she should start or not. I think you have the best players on the pitch, but in saying that, England were phenomenal against Australia, every single one of them, so who do you take out? That’s for Sarina to have the headache and not me, but I’d play Lauren James.”
On the other hand, record goal-scorer, Ellen White, feels that Wiegman should stick to the same formula which has worked well without James. White believes that “The Australia game was more of a compete performance, both defensively and offensively as well. England have had four games playing that 3-5-2 and two games playing with the same players. I think she’ll keep the same formation and the same players that started against Colombia and Australia, just for that continuity and that consistency of performance. You have to be disciplined against this Spanish side. I feel like that group will have discipline. Lauren James to come on.”
So, Wiegman has a big decision to make. She has remained tight-lipped on her plans for the final, only commenting that “It’s really nice to have 23 players available for tomorrow.” The whole nation will be watching to see what she chooses and how it impacts the outcome of the game.
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