Sarina Wiegman bemoans Lionesses selection 'puzzle' amid growing injury woes

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Evening Standard

·17 February 2026

Sarina Wiegman bemoans Lionesses selection 'puzzle' amid growing injury woes

England’s road to Brazil begins with Ukraine and Iceland tests

Sarina Wiegman said picking her Lionesses squad for the March international break felt like completing a puzzle amid injuries to several key players.

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The reigning European champions will face Ukraine in Turkey next month before hosting Iceland at Nottingham’s City Ground in the first matches of their 2027 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Five key players have returned to the side for these crunch fixtures after being left out of the squad for November’s defeats of Ghana and China, but there are also a handful of awkward absentees.

Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, widely considered the best goalkeeper in the women’s game, is back in the fold after recovering from an injury, as is her team-mate Lauren James, who scored in Sunday’s defeat of Liverpool at Kingsmeadow.

Also returning are captain Leah Williamson, Gotham’s Jess Carter, and Alex Greenwood of Manchester City.

Niamh Charles, Ella Toone and Beth Mead all miss out through injury, as does Euros hero Michelle Agyemang, who is recovering from an ACL rupture.

In their absence, there is a first call-up for London City Lionesses defender Poppy Pattinson, while her team-mate Freya Godfrey and Liverpool’s Grace Fisk will both be hoping to pick up their first senior caps.

Speaking after naming her squad, Wiegman said she had been left ‘puzzled’ as she looked for workarounds after injuries to some of her big-name players.

"There is a little bit of a puzzle at the moment,” she began. “But at the same time I think we have enough players in the squad to play good games and to have players on the pitch who are fit and can perform at the highest level.

"We will see where we get, but I am confident we can get a good team on the pitch."

Of Mead and Toone’s absences, she added: "Of course you want them in the team. You have seen in all of the camps, we have had players who have lots of games, very high level, and there are always a couple of players who are injured who we can't bring in. That's part of our football life too.

"You just have to move on, and hopefully the players get fit soon and we have more options.

“The more options the better it is for us, and the harder it is to make the right decisions. It's part of life now and hopefully for the players they get fit quick."

Next month’s friendlies mark the beginning of England’s quest to end their extended wait for a first World Cup title. They came agonisingly close in 2023, losing 1-0 to Spain in the final.

Goalkeepers: Hampton, Moorhouse, Roebuck

Defenders: Bronze, Carter, Fisk, Greenwood, Hinds, Le Tissier, Morgan, Pattinson, Williamson, Wubben-Moy

Midfielders: Blindkilde Brown, Clinton, Kendall, Stanway, Walsh

Forwards: Beever-Jones, Godfrey, Hemp, James, Kelly, Park, Russo