England Sweating On Lauren James’s Fitness For Euro 2025 Final Against Spain

England do not cognize whether Lauren James will beryllium disposable for Sunday’s Euro 2025 final, Sarina Wiegman has said, pinch nan Lionesses waiting nervously connected nan Chelsea forward’s fitness.

James, who was withdrawn astatine half-time successful England’s semi-final win complete Italy aft sustaining an ankle injury, has started each 5 of nan defending champions’ matches successful Switzerland but is simply a uncertainty for their showdown pinch Spain.

“She’s still recovering,” Wiegman said connected Friday. “She’s doing things connected nan [training] transportation and we person 2 much days truthful we’re going to springiness her time. We don’t cognize yet [if she’ll beryllium ready], but that’s what we’re going to spell for – [aiming for] 23 players disposable for nan crippled connected Sunday.”

The Arsenal guardant Beth Mead, who replaced James connected Tuesday, could beryllium successful statement to commencement if James is unavailable and nan super-sub Chloe Kelly could besides beryllium nether consideration.

Ella Toone has predicted that different super-sub, Michelle Agyemang, will acquisition a important alteration to her life erstwhile England return home, aft nan striker’s starring domiciled successful nan tally to nan final, but Toone has praised nan 19-year-old’s maturity successful her debut tournament.

When England won Euro 2022 connected location ungraded Toone came connected to people successful knockout games against Spain and Germany. This summer, Agyemang has stepped up pinch precocious equalisers against Sweden and Italy to prevention England’s campaign.

“She mightiness get papped eating a pasty for illustration I did! I’ll person to pass her astir that,” Toone said pinch a chuckle. “She’s decidedly successful nan [team] bubble now, but I deliberation erstwhile she gets retired she’ll beryllium recognised a batch much than she was earlier nan tournament, that’s for sure, and she decidedly deserves that arsenic well.

“It’s mad, I would deliberation she’s astir 30 years old, she’s truthful mature. She’s truthful humble. She’s coming to this tourney pinch freedom, not a worry, not a care. She’s conscionable gone retired location and done what’s been asked of her.

“She’s been astonishing for us. She’s turned up successful large moments erstwhile we’ve needed her. She’s sewage a batch of talent, and she tin do a batch of things that not galore players tin do. Even erstwhile she scored and kept america successful games, she’s been nan aforesaid Michelle that she was erstwhile she started this tournament. I’m perfectly buzzing for her. It’s bully for bully group to get things that they deserve, and she’s decidedly 1 of those people.”

Ella Toone (left) pinch Michelle Agyemang aft nan striker’s match-saving extremity against Italy. Photograph: Martin Meissner/AP

England are contesting their 3rd consecutive awesome final, which Toone described arsenic “something nan state tin beryllium proud of”. Toone thanked England’s fans for their support. “The fans astatine home, we’ve astir apt fixed them a bosom attack,” she said, but she hopes nan Lionesses’ fighting comebacks and tone tin thief them successful nan final.

“You tin spot nan conflict from nan team,” Toone said. “We’ll springiness 100% and we’ll conflict for illustration we ever do. We’ll person that togetherness to hopefully get complete nan line.”

Wiegman is successful her 3rd consecutive Euros last and her 5th awesome last successful a row, a series that began pinch winning nan 2017 Euros pinch nan Netherlands. Toone praised nan Dutchwoman’s squad talks, saying: “We had a bully 1 earlier nan Italy game, nan nighttime earlier successful nan meeting, 1 that decidedly stood out. Then again earlier nan game. Sarina’s speeches earlier nan games person decidedly sewage america motivated.

“Even though sometimes we person gone a extremity down, you still retrieve nan words that she said earlier nan crippled and it makes you want to spell retired and put connected a capacity for nan 2nd half arsenic well. She’s been pulling them retired of nan bag. No matter what Sarina says, you listen, because she’s reached 5 awesome tourney finals truthful she decidedly knows what she’s doing.”

Toone besides knows what to do successful large games, having scored successful an FA Cup final, a World Cup semi-final, nan Women’s Finalissima astatine Wembley against Brazil and astir famously erstwhile she opened nan scoring successful 2022’s Euros last against Germany pinch her lobbed effort. “Hopefully there’s a chance that I tin put it successful nan backmost of nan nett for illustration I person done successful erstwhile finals,” she said.