Lauren James, a Lionesses standout, might be absent for six weeks after withdrawing from England’s squad ahead of games against Germany and South Africa. What happened? James was chosen to Chelsea’s starting lineup for the Champions League match against Twente on Thursday, however he was forced to withdraw soon before kickoff due to a foot injury. “In the last moment of the warm-up, she felt something in her foot,” head coach Sonia Bompastor remarked after the game. “At the moment it’s too early for me to say something else.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE On Sunday, only an hour before Chelsea’s Women’s Super League match against Tottenham, England issued a squad update revealing that James would be forced to withdraw from Lionesses duty owing to a calf injury. WHAT BOMPASTOR SAID: Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of Chelsea’s game against Tottenham, Bompastor said of James: “Lauren just picked up a calf injury, so we’ll see how long it takes her to heal. She won’t be joining us today. She will be recuperating for the international break, and we will find out later how much time she will miss. When asked how long the forward would be out, Bompastor replied, “Maybe five, six weeks. We will see.
Did you know? Despite James’ absence, England manager Sarina Wiegman does not intend to make any further additions to her squad at this time. Lauren Hemp, Beth Mead, Chloe Kelly, Alessia Russo, Aggie Beever-Jones, and Jessica Naz are the other forwards she has selected for the October international break. What is next for James and England? While James remains with Chelsea and continues her recuperation, the Lionesses will face Germany at Wembley Stadium on October 25 before travelling to Coventry for another friendly against South Africa four days later.
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