Sarina Wiegman gives Lauren James injury update with England facing Euros final decision

Lauren James will be given every opportunity to prove her fitness ahead of Sunday's Euro 2025 final. England star James was injured in the first half of the semi-final against Italy.

She didn’t reemerge for the second half, and was seen with ice on her ankle, but manager Sarina Wiegman refused to rule her out. “Of course she’s still recovering,” Wiegman said.

“She’s doing things on the pitch. We have two more days so we’re going to give it a try." When asked if she thought James would be ready to face Spain in Basel, Wiegman was hopeful, adding: “[We] don’t know yet but that’s what we’re going to go for, for 23 players available for the game on Sunday."

England also had an injury scare ahead of the semi-final, with Leah Williamson rolling her ankle in the previous match against Sweden. Lionesses captain Williamson recovered in time to start against Italy, though, playing 85 minutes before making way for forward Michelle Agyemang as England chased a late equaliser.

It was Agyemang who delivered that leveller, in the sixth of seven added minutes, and fellow sub Chloe Kelly went on to score an extra-time winner to send England into the final. There they will meet a Spain side who also played 120 minutes in their semi-final against Germany.

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Ella Toone was full of praise for captain WIlliamson when she spoke to reporters on Friday. “Leah’s great. She rallies the team, gets everyone going, keeps everyone together, and leads by example in the way she plays," she said.

"You want your captain to really step up in games and she definitely does that. She takes us all with her as well. It would be amazing for Leah to lift another trophy for us.

“She's a great captain and one that you want to play under and one that you want to work hard for. Because you know that when she goes out onto that pitch, she'll give absolutely everything for everyone. So she's a great person too.”

If James is unable to start on Sunday, Wiegman will have a decision to make on who gets the nod in her place. Beth Mead was her half-time replacement against Italy, but Chloe Kelly has been making a case for inclusion with some huge moments in both knockout matches and Agyemang's game-saving cameos may have Wiegman contemplating a switch to two up top.

"Michelle, I would think she’s about 30 years old, she’s so mature, so humble," Toone said of her teenage team-mate. "She’s come into this tournament with freedom, not a worry, not a care.

"She's turned up in big moments when we've needed her and she's got a lot of talent and she can do a lot of things that not many players can do. Even when she has scored and catches in games, she's been the same Michelle that she was when we started the tournament.

"I’m buzzing for her, it’s nice for good people to get things that they deserve. She’s definitely in the bubble now but when she gets out she’ll be recognised by a lot more people than she was before the tournament, and she definitely deserves that."

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