Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman has revealed that Lauren James was withdrawn from England's win over Belgium on Friday due to a hamstring issue.
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England cruised to 5-0 win over Belgium on FridayBut James was withdrawn at half-timeWiegman confirms substitution due to a knockFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
James came off at half-time during England's demolition of Belgium, having provided the first of the Lionesses' five goals. The Chelsea star whipped in a perfect cross for club-mate Bronze to head home and break the deadlock, but had to be withdrawn after playing just 45 minutes.
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Any significant setback would be a real blow for James, who only recently returned from a three-month injury lay-off. The winger sustained a foot problem before Christmas and missed a huge chunk of Chelsea's season, but has been excellent for them since coming back into the fray. The Blues have some massive games on the horizon too, including a Champions League semi-final against Barcelona later this month.
WHAT WIEGMAN SAID
Speaking about James' injury after the game, Wiegman said: "She had a small moment on her leg. We just didn't take any risks and took her out straight away. It's really [soon] after the game, so I really don't know how it is now. It was, I think, her hamstring."
DID YOU KNOW?
This news is particularly significant given it came just a few hours after Chloe Kelly had to withdraw from the England squad due to a foot problem. That leaves England a little lacking in wide areas ahead of Tuesday's rematch against Belgium, though Beth Mead's lively performance in Friday's win was at least encouraging in that regard.
Speaking about Kelly's absence, Wiegman added: "We expect it not to be too serious but it's a short time until Tuesday. We knew it was going to be tight so we assessed her again last night and realised it was a little bit too early. Hopefully that will not take too long."