When Lauren James steps out in England colours during this upcoming international break, it'll be her first time doing so in 10 months, since she opened the scoring in the Lionesses' 2-0 win over Ireland on April 9. It's been a frustrating period for the talismanic forward, who has missed all of her country's last four international camps with a persistent foot injury. She'll be desperate to make up for lost time, then, as England's new Women's Nations League campaign gets underway on Friday.
Things haven't been easy for the Lionesses since James won her last cap. Wins against France and Ireland, plus a draw in Sweden, allowed them to qualify automatically for this summer's European Championship, and thus arrange friendlies of their own choosing for the final two camps of 2024. But those games highlighted some key areas for improvement ahead of their title defence in Switzerland.
Where those problems concern the attack, James' return will certainly be welcome. After all, she's proven time and time again that she can be a game-changer and a match-winner - and she enters this international break with a bang, too.
