England manager Sarina Wiegman plans to adjust her squad for Tuesday’s friendly match against South Africa.
Following a narrow 4-3 defeat to Germany at Wembley on Friday, the Lionesses are eager to regain momentum as they prepare to defend their European title in next summer’s tournament.
Wiegman hinted at the inclusion of “different faces” in the lineup for the 19:45 GMT kickoff in Coventry, aiming to test various player combinations and manage playtime effectively. “I won’t reveal specifics, but you’ll see some changes,” Wiegman shared. “We want to try out different connections and see players in various roles.”
Her lineup choice against Germany received some criticism, marking the first time England has conceded four goals under her leadership. However, Wiegman described the match as a valuable learning experience aligned with their preparations for Euro 2025.
Beyond this friendly, England’s upcoming schedule includes matches against the United States and Switzerland in November and December, along with Women’s Nations League fixtures next year.
What did Sarina say?
“What we do is we plan for 2 July [when Euro 2025 begins]. We have to be ready. We have five camps and we want to develop towards our ideal picture,” said Wiegman.
“That’s on pitch, that’s off pitch. Togetherness is really important to us because we believe if you know each other better you play better.
“We get information from these four games, from our players and conversations with them – then we adapt.”
The Lionesses have a fully fit squad, with midfielder Fran Kirby and defender Lotte Wubben-Moy in training having missed Friday’s defeat.
South Africa will pose a different threat to England and they are relatively unknown, with Wiegman’s side used to playing European opposition.
“That’s what we want, different styles of play against us,” she added.
“Of course, it will be a little different from the Euros but later on in our journey, towards the World Cup, I think this is great to play a team like South Africa.
“That will be another learning moment for us. How do we approach that? Can we dictate the game?
“Can we be calm on the ball playing forward, staying out of the duels and of course taking their counter attacks with the speed they have up front?”