England’s preparations for a glamour meeting with Spain at Wembley have taken an early hit, but they have also opened the door to one of the country’s brightest young forwards.
Freya Godfrey’s wait for a first senior cap goes on. The 20-year-old, a regular face in Sarina Wiegman’s recent squads, has been forced to withdraw with a shoulder injury, returning to London City Lionesses for treatment after a breakout season that has underlined why Arsenal were so reluctant to lose her last summer.
Godfrey has featured in each of Wiegman’s last three squads, edging ever closer to that long-awaited debut. Her trajectory has been sharp, her form consistent. This setback stalls the momentum, it doesn’t kill it. But for now, the door closes.
For Keira Barry, it swings wide open.
Barry’s fast rise rewarded
Barry, another 20-year-old forward with serious pedigree in England’s youth ranks, steps up to replace Godfrey in the senior squad. Her journey has taken a more unconventional turn. After a decade in the Manchester United system, she walked away in February in search of first‑team football and a clearer pathway.
She found both in the United States with Bay FC.
Under former England youth coach Emma Coates, Barry has wasted no time making an impression in the NWSL. She has already scored in a win over North Carolina Courage, her aggressive, front-foot style translating seamlessly to a league that demands intensity and bravery from its attackers.
Coates, who knows Barry as well as anyone in the England setup, had made no secret of her admiration when Bay FC signed her, highlighting the winger’s “relentless energy” and willingness to take players on. England have clearly been watching. That early impact in California now carries a tangible reward: a first senior call-up.
Barry had been due to link up with the England Under-23s this month. Instead, she jumps a level, straight into Wiegman’s plans for a crucial international window.
Her promotion creates another opportunity further down the chain. Vivienne Lia, on loan at Hammarby from Arsenal, steps into the Under-23 squad. Lia has started the Damallsvenskan season sharply, with a goal and an assist in Hammarby’s 3-1 win over Rosengard on the opening weekend. Another young forward thriving abroad, another name firmly on the radar.
The pathway is working. And right now, it is busy.
Charles back in the frame
At the other end of the experience spectrum, Niamh Charles returns to the senior squad, a timely boost in defence.
The Chelsea full-back, who began her career as a forward, has only just emerged from three months out with an ankle injury. Her initial omission from Wiegman’s squad made sense at the time; she had just 17 minutes under her belt when the group was first announced.
That picture has changed quickly.
Charles came off the bench in Chelsea’s chaotic 4-3 win over Aston Villa at the end of March, added another half-hour against Arsenal a few days later, then started and impressed in the FA Cup victory over Tottenham on Monday. With those minutes banked, and her sharpness returning, Wiegman has moved decisively to bring her back in.
For a side that leans heavily on its full-backs for width and control, Charles’ return is more than a routine recall. It restores a proven international who understands the demands of this system and the stakes of these fixtures.
Injury watch: Williamson and Mead
The concern for England is that Godfrey may not be the only casualty before Spain arrive at Wembley.
Leah Williamson remains a doubt. The Arsenal captain has missed the club’s last five matches with a hamstring problem, a worrying development given her importance at the heart of England’s build-up play and leadership structure. Beth Mead is also being monitored after limping off in Arsenal’s defeat to Brighton at the weekend.
No fresh withdrawals were announced in Tuesday’s update, a detail supporters will cling to as a positive sign. But there is still a week to navigate before England walk out under the Wembley arch.
Spain await. The world champions. The barometer for where this England team truly stands post-World Cup.
Wiegman’s squad is evolving on the fly: youngsters stepping up, senior figures racing the clock, form and fitness jostling for priority. The question now is not just who starts at Wembley, but which of these emerging names will seize this moment and refuse to give the shirt back.
