For the first time since clinching a second successive European Championship title back in July, England's Lionesses return to action this week, beginning their 'homecoming series' which will take the team around the country as they celebrate the summer's incredible triumph with as many fans as possible. It starts in Manchester on Saturday against Brazil, the South American champions, and moves onto Derby three days later, where Australia will be the visitors, before resuming in November with two more friendlies.
These final two international camps of 2025 are not just an opportunity for the Lionesses to show off that Euros trophy, though. Ahead of qualifying for the 2027 Women's World Cup beginning in the New Year, Sarina Wiegman can use these four friendlies to experiment a little and see some new players, with there three names in this month's squad who have accepted senior call-ups for England for the first time.
To an extent, there is a need to experiment, too, as Wiegman is missing a number of key players this month. That's particularly the case at centre-back, as Leah Williamson is still sidelined with a knee issue picked up during Euro 2025 and Millie Bright has just this month called time on her international career, and in the forward line, with Lauren James also still working her way back from an injury sustained during the Euros title run, Lauren Hemp having suffered a knock to her ankle last month that rules her out of this camp and the in-form Jess Park, who looked set to provide a solution amid those absentees, a late withdrawal from the squad.
So, what should England fans be looking out for this month? GOAL picks out six things to keep an eye on as the Lionesses return to action:
Getty ImagesCentre-forward pecking order
Going into Euro 2025, the centre-forward pecking order felt quite clear. Alessia Russo was England's starting No.9, with Aggie Beever-Jones second in line and Michelle Agyemang, something of a wildcard inclusion by Wiegman, adding to the options. However, Agyemang's impressive impact in the Lionesses' first group-stage game changed everything, with the teenager able to leapfrog Beever-Jones in the depth chart over the course of the tournament, something she justified by scoring in the quarter- and semi-finals.
How, then, does that look as England return to action for the first time since the Euros? Russo's position will not change but, with Wiegman likely to use the friendlies to rotate and experiment, both Beever-Jones and Agyemang will be out to show what they can do and why they should be the manager's first port of call from the bench. The latter may feel like she has the edge after the Euros, but Beever-Jones is in electric form as the top-scoring Englishwoman in the Women's Super League so far this season.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesLe Tissier's much-debated role
Maya Le Tissier has been an unused sub in 12 of England's 13 games in 2025, and yet she comes into this camp as one of the main talking points. That's because, upon unveiling her squad for October, Wiegman once again reiterated that she sees the Manchester United captain as a right-back, not at centre-back, despite her only playing the former position once since joining the Red Devils back in 2022, as the club's social media admin, somewhat incredibly, was keen to point out shortly after those comments were made.
That United employee is not alone in thinking Wiegman's perspective is strange, though. Arsenal icon Ian Wright, a regular pundit in the women's game, described Le Tissier as the "most consistent English [centre-back] in the league" after seeing the Lionesses' boss' quotes. "I don't understand," he added.
It's even more of a talking point this month, given the absence of Williamson and Bright's retirement. With Alex Greenwood seemingly, and deservedly, England's first-choice left-sided centre-back, there is a gap on the right to be filled in this camp, if not also in the next, depending on Williamson's recovery. Many believe Le Tissier should get the chance to play there, but it seems more likely that she adds to her eight England appearances by playing the same position she did for her sole cap in 2025, at right-back.
Getty ImagesGoalkeeping inexperience
When Mary Earps made the surprise decision to call time on her England career just a few weeks before Euro 2025 began, many wondered – and some even expected – Wiegman to give a shot-stopper other than Hannah Hampton a run out before the Lionesses headed to Switzerland. After all, neither Khiara Keating nor Anna Moorhouse, who completed the goalkeeping unit in the Euros squad, had a cap to their name. However, despite having three opportunities to do so, Wiegman didn't, with both still awaiting their senior England debuts at this point.
It was understandable in two of those pre-tournament fixtures, as the Lionesses took on Portugal and Spain in the Nations League. The clash with the former ended 6-0, making it seem like a good chance to play Keating or Moorhouse in hindsight, but the reverse fixture saw England held to a frustrating 1-1 draw, so it was not expected to play out like that, while the latter was a meeting with the world champions. That Wiegman stuck with Hampton for the Lionesses' friendly against Jamaica at the end of June was more surprising, though it did also make some sense for consistency going into the Euros.
These next two camps, then, really feel like the chance for Keating or Moorhouse to get out on the pitch. England have two years to build up to the next World Cup and they will not want to be in a situation for that tournament where only one of their goalkeepers is capped. The Lionesses' November fixtures are a little more favourable in terms of easing a shot-stopper in, as China and Ghana are weaker opponents than Brazil and Australia, but at the end of the day, all of these games are friendlies and Wiegman has to give games to other goalkeepers sooner rather than later.
Getty ImagesKelly's minutes
Despite being the hero of Euro 2025 (and Euro 2022), Chloe Kelly is still trying to force her way into Wiegman's first-choice XI. Yet, it doesn't feel like she comes into this camp primed to make a statement in her quest to do so.
Kelly ended the 2024-25 season in flying form on loan at Arsenal and looked set to continue that when she made her move to the Gunners permanent over the summer, especially after such a special Euros. However, the forward has only accumulated 234 minutes across the club's first eight games of the season.
It appears part of the reason why could be fitness related, as Kelly has had noticeable strapping on her knee a few times in recent weeks, with her also not in the squad for Arsenal's second game of the season due to a knock. But her ability to impact games remains evident, with her providing a fantastic assist for the Gunners' last goal before the international break after a quick and clever free-kick teed up Russo against Benfica.
Is she able to build on that during this camp? Kelly could really use the minutes, as she looks to properly get her 2025-26 season up and running, and the absences of all of James, Hemp, Park and even Grace Clinton, another player who can play out wide but withdrew after the squad announcement with injury, could pave the way for her to get quite a few.