England will commence their UEFA Women’s Nations League campaign this week with group stage matches against Portugal and Spain.
The Lionesses fell short in the 2024 Nations League, failing to advance from their League A group and missing out on Olympic qualification. This time, England will take on Spain, Portugal and Belgium for a place in the Nations League finals later this year.

An away trip to the Algarve is first on the cards as England face Portugal before returning home to Wembley Stadium to take on Spain for the first time since the 2023 World Cup final.
Sarina Wiegman’s side will be without key personnel for their opening Nations League games, with Georgia Stanway, Lauren Hemp, Beth Mead and Alex Greenwood all missing from the squad. The Lionesses will need to be at their very best in order to start their Nations League fight with a bang.

England will face a major challenge in the absence of Georgia Stanway, who is sidelined after undergoing knee surgery earlier this year. The Bayern Munich midfielder has been one of the mainstays in the England side under Wiegman and it will be interesting to see how the squad adapts to her absence.

Wiegman has an abundance of attacking midfielders to choose from, but there isn’t really anyone who fits the No 8 profile. The England head coach has experimented with playing Grace Clinton in that position and many have suggested that pushing Leah Williamson into the midfield could also be a feasible option.
The Lionesses have hardly had to play without Stanway since Wiegman took the post in 2021, so now will be the time to see whether or not they will sink or swim.

Manchester City defender Alex Greenwood is missing from the Lionesses squad after undergoing surgery on her knee in the closing stages of 2024. The injury cloud has put a doubt over whether Greenwood will be fit and ready for Euro 2025.

Wiegman’s decision to persist with a defensive tandem of Millie Bright and Leah Williamson means that Greenwood’s absence won’t be harshly felt, but not having her in the squad will certainly hurt the Lionesses. All of England’s current defenders are right-footers, meaning the squad don’t have a left-sided outlet from the backline.
The negative effects of this were exposed when England hosted Germany at Wembley Stadium back in October. The one-dimensional outfit conceded three goals in the opening half, and struggled to break down the visitors’ aggressive press. As soon as Greenwood was brought into the game, the left-footer provided England with a way out of the backline purely because of her natural distribution skills.

The introduction of the Women’s Nations League tournament leaves England with no more opportunities to experiment. The side will play competitive fixtures up until the opening fixture of this summer’s Euros.
The final two international camps of 2024 gave the head coach some valuable time to tinker, allowing her to bring in players that hadn’t been in the squad before. Ruby Mace and Laura Blindkilde Brown earned their first senior call ups, whilst youngsters Grace Clinton and Jess Park starred in midfield.
Wiegman certainly made the most of squad rotation, but whether it was enough is the question. From now on, it’s all systems go. The Lionesses will be hungry to enter every single fixture between now and the Euros with a full competitive edge, so Wiegman better have her tactical philosophy ready to go.

Despite Wiegman’s decision to leave Chloe Kelly out of the England squad due to insufficient playing minutes, the forward has earned herself a late call-up due to the withdrawals of Beth Mead and Lotte Wubben-Moy.
With one forward out and another one in to replace her, England are certainly appearing thin on the ground in the attacking department. As Lauren Hemp remains sidelined, the Lionesses are down to six forward options, including Lauren James, who often plays in midfield, as well as the young duo of Aggie Beever-Jones and Jess Naz, who lack extensive experience.
Alessia Russo is in firing form, but the striker is not a robot and will require support from her teammates up front.

Wiegman has a hard task in front of her and little tools to work with ahead of a daunting matchup.

The last time England and Spain met, a first-half finish from Olga Carmona was enough to crown the Spanish victorious at the 2023 World Cup. This time around, the battle will be played out under the arch of Wembley Stadium, as the European champions host their global counterparts in a Nations League thriller.
Spain boast a fully fit squad and an in-form attack, while England are navigating injuries amid a period of significant transition. Acting as a perfect curtain raiser for what is to come this summer, the Lionesses should use this match as an opportunity to find their level.

If England can put up a strong fight, the return of key players could give them the confidence to defend their European title at this summer’s Euros in Switzerland. Although that is a big ‘if’ these days.