England sweating on Lauren James’s fitness for Euro 2025 final against Spain | OneFootball

England do not know whether ­Lauren James will be available for Sunday’s Euro 2025 final, Sarina ­Wiegman has said, with the Lionesses waiting nervously on the Chelsea ­forward’s fitness.

James, who was withdrawn at half-time in England’s semi-final win against Italy after sustaining an ankle injury, has started all five of the defending champions’ matches in Switzerland but is a doubt for their showdown with Spain.

“She’s still recovering,” Wiegman said on Friday. “She’s doing things on the [training] pitch and we have two more days so we’re going to give her time. We don’t know yet [if she’ll be ready], but that’s what we’re going to go for – [aiming for] 23 players available for the game on Sunday.”

The Arsenal forward Beth Mead, who replaced James on Tuesday, could be in line to start if James is unavailable and the super-sub Chloe Kelly could also be under consideration.

Ella Toone has predicted that another super-sub, Michelle Agyemang, will experience a significant change to her life when England return home after the striker’s starring role in the run to the final, but Toone has praised the 19-year-old’s maturity in her debut tournament.

When England won Euro 2022 on home soil Toone came on to score in knockout games against Spain and Germany. This summer, Agyemang has stepped up with late equalisers against Sweden and Italy to save England’s campaign.

“She might get papped eating a pasty like I did! I’ll have to warn her about that,” Toone said with a chuckle. “She’s definitely in the [team] bubble now, but I think when she gets out she’ll be recognised a lot more than she was before the tournament, that’s for sure, and she definitely deserves that as well.

“It’s mad, I would think she’s about 30 years old, she’s so mature. She’s so humble. She’s coming to this tournament with freedom, not a worry, not a care. She’s just gone out there and done what’s been asked of her.

“She’s been amazing for us. She’s turned up in big moments when we’ve needed her. She’s got a lot of talent and she can do a lot of things that not many players can do. Even when she scored and kept us in games, she’s been the same Michelle that she was when she started this tournament. I’m absolutely buzzing for her. It’s nice for good people to get things that they deserve and she’s definitely one of those people.”

England are contesting their third consecutive major final, which Toone described as “something the country can be proud of”. Toone thanked England’s fans for their support. “The fans at home, we’ve probably given them a heart attack,” she said, but she hopes the Lionesses’ fighting comebacks and spirit can help them in the final.

“You can see the fight from the team,” Toone said. “We’ll give 100% and we’ll fight like we always do. We’ll have that togetherness to hopefully get over the line.”

Wiegman is in her third straight Euros final and her fifth major final in a row, a sequence that began with winning the 2017 Euros with the Netherlands. Toone praised the Dutchwoman’s team talks, saying: “We had a good one before the Italy game, the night before in the meeting, one that definitely stood out. Then again before the game. Sarina’s speeches before the games have definitely got us motivated.

“Even though sometimes we have gone a goal down, you still remember the words that she said before the game and it makes you want to go out and put on a performance for the second half as well. She’s been pulling them out of the bag. No matter what Sarina says, you listen, because she’s reached five major tournament finals so she definitely knows what she’s doing.”

Toone also knows what to do in big games, having scored in an FA Cup final, a World Cup semi-final, the Women’s Finalissima at Wembley against Brazil and most famously when she opened the scoring in 2022’s Euros final against Germany with her lobbed effort. “Hopefully there’s a chance that I can put it in the back of the net like I have done in previous finals,” she said.

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