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England’s first camp of the year was one of new beginnings as Sarina Wiegman’s side returned for the first time since winning a second successive European Championship. Defeat to Brazil and victory over Australia provided plenty of learnings about how the Lionesses are looking at the start of a new international cycle as preparation for the 2027 World Cup gets under way:
Fears for Agyemang as injury list grows
There was deep concern for Michelle Agyemang when she went down with a serious-looking knee injury with 10 minutes to play against Australia in Derby on Tuesday. The post-match comments from Wiegman did little to ease the worry. “It doesn’t look good,” she said. “We don’t know yet but I’m not very positive about what I’ve seen.” Injury woes have been mounting for Wiegman since the summer with key players already missing. Leah Williamson is yet to return after undergoing a minor knee operation while Lauren Hemp and Lauren James remain out. Grace Clinton was missing with a knock; Jess Park was out with concussion; and Lotte Wubben-Moy had to leave camp early through illness. But all the focus now is on Agyemang.
Debutants make their mark
Everyone wants to win football matches but the Lionesses were presented with a huge opportunity for experimentation in this series of friendlies, with two more games to come against China (29 November) and Ghana (2 December) to close out 2025. With the pressure eased, Wiegman used this opening, handing out three debuts and giving players crucial minutes. Aston Villa’s Lucia Kendall took her chance against Australia and was arguably one of the best performers. This was the 21-year-old’s first call-up from the under-23s but she looked like she belonged instantly, comfortable in possession, creating opportunities and at ease amongst seasoned internationals.
Depth at left-back has been a consistent issue but Taylor Hinds’ adept performance against the Matildas will have given the coaching staff plenty of food for thought. Khiara Keating also made her long-awaited debut, starting against Brazil. The defeat was disappointing but the young goalkeeper was not at fault for either goal and grew into the match. There were also key minutes for players who have found themselves on the periphery, such as Esme Morgan, Maya Le Tissier, Missy Bo Kearns and Aggie Beever-Jones.
Defensive frailties remain
The opening 18 minutes against Brazil encapsulated the defensive issues that have haunted England for some time. The Lionesses tend to labour against pacy, direct attackers while also being guilty of making early errors. Jess Carter and Morgan were the centre-back partnership in a new defensive unit against Brazil. Both ply their trade in the NWSL, where fast transitions are the norm, but they struggled to handle the speed of the Brazilian front line.
Le Tissier, who has been the subject of much conversation over this window, started at right-back against Brazil but was moved to the centre towards the end of that game and against the Matildas and looked much more comfortable. The lack of suitable cover for Lucy Bronze, however, remains a problem. The 34-year-old illustrated exactly how important she is to this team with a goal and an assist in the first half against Australia, her first 45 minutes since the Euro 2025 final. Captain Leah Williamson’s absence was also felt, not only in the leadership she brings but also how fundamental she is to the way England build going forward.
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Beever-Jones grabs her chance
There has never been any doubt about Aggie Beever-Jones’ qualities as a goalscorer. The young Chelsea forward has been one of the most in-form players in the WSL this season and has four goals to her name. She has struggled, however, to get regular game time for England and found herself occupying the bench at the Euros. While certainly an out-an-out No 9, the key strength of Beever-Jones is her versatility which gives Wiegman added attacking dynamism.
She can play across the front three and has even been utilised in the No 10 role by her club manager, Sonia Bompastor. She started on the left against Australia and was the most dangerous player early on while her goal was another illustration of her range of goalscoring ability. “I love playing for England no matter where I am,” she told ITV. “I don’t look at the stats, I just come here and focus to try and tell Sarina what I can do.”
Work to be done in the attacking third
A strangely frustrating aspect from these two friendlies for England will have been the limited minutes they had to challenge themselves against a full-strength opposition. Brazil’s Angelina and Australia’s Alanna Kennedy both saw red around the 20-minute mark for denying goalscoring opportunities. “In a qualifier I don’t care,” Wiegman said with a laugh. “But in a friendly you want to play 11 v 11 as that’s the challenges you have the most.” It did, however, force the Lionesses to adapt against cohesive defensive units. They struggled to do so against Brazil, who dropped deep to defend their penalty area , despite having opportunities to equalise. England were much improved in the final third against Australia, particularly in the first half. But their lack of clinical finishing persisted despite the wealth of attackers they possess, and is an area where they can improve.
