England dealt major double injury blow as Lauren James absence confirmed

Chelsea forward Lauren James has withdrawn from the England squad ahead of their upcoming EURO 2025 qualifiers.

The Lionesses currently sit third in Group A3 and need to win both of their matches against the Republic of Ireland and Sweden if they are to guarantee automatic qualification for next summer's tournament finals in Switzerland. James missed England's double-header with France last month after failing to recover from the foot injury which she sustained during the final weeks of the Women's Super League (WSL) season.

And the Football Association (FA) have now confirmed the 22-year-old will not feature for Sarina Wiegman's side this month as they continue their defence of their European crown. James - who registered 13 goals and two assists in the WSL last season - will instead continue her rehabilitation at Chelsea, while Arsenal defender Lotte Wubben-Moy and Southampton goalkeeper Kayla Rendell have also returned to their respective clubs for treatment.

England travel to the Netherlands today (Monday, July 1) as they look ahead to this month's decisive games. In all, 25 players will join the preparation camp, which includes a behind-closed-doors fixture against the Dutch on Thursday (July 4). Both Mary Earps and Niamh Charles will travel to continue their rehab to full fitness within the England set-up.

Orlando Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse has received her first call-up and, after completing club commitments, will join her team-mates as the full squad meet again at St. George’s Park next Monday (July 8). Georgia Stanway will also remain with Bayern Munich, who have already started their 2024-25 pre-season preparation, and will link up with the squad in England next week.

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