Though she is still not at peak fitness, Williamson’s return is even more noteworthy because of the state of the rest of the centre-backs that are available to Wiegman. That’s particularly the case because two of the Lionesses’ main options, Jess Carter and Esme Morgan, are not currently in season.
Both play in the NWSL, the top league in the United States, which doesn’t begin its 2026 campaign until mid-March. It means both are currently still in pre-season, which brings with it the need to balance loading and rest, plus the potential for rust.
Speaking to GOAL last year about the challenge of being fully fit and sharp for this first camp of the calendar year, Carter admitted it was something she “really struggled with” after moving to the NWSL. “I’ve learned the things that do and don’t work, so I’m hoping to be able to implement those things for my off-season this time around,” she noted.
On paper, one might think that Wiegman has enough in the squad to not need to call upon Carter and Morgan all that much. Alex Greenwood and Maya Le Tissier, the latter having got more opportunities at centre-back at the end of last year, are both in the squad, as is Lotte Wubben-Moy, the Arsenal defender who has seen a lot more minutes at club level in recent months because of injuries to Williamson and young England prospect Katie Reid.
However, Greenwood and Le Tissier may be needed in the full-back areas. That’s because both Lucy Bronze and Taylor Hinds are only just back from injuries, with Niamh Charles still sidelined. Anouk Denton hasn’t made the cut this time around, with Wiegman calling up Poppy Pattinson for the first time instead.
Those circumstances could thin out the centre-back options quite quickly, and just how the England boss manages that situation will be interesting. Her defenders are not expected to be tested too much over this window, but that only means they need to be sharper and more alert to be able to deal with any danger that does arise.