Wiegman has four big Lionesses decisions with six months until Women's World Cup

With the new week marking six months until England's first game the 2023 Women's World Cup, preparations for the Lionesses are ramping up.

England will kick-off their campaign on July 22 in Brisbane Football Stadium against a currently-unknown opponent, with the final spots up for grabs in next months' play-offs. The European Champions will also face Denmark and China as they aim to navigate Group D.

With less than half a year to go until the big kick-off, England manager Sarina Wiegman headed out to Australia last week to check out the team base and hotel in Gosford on the Central Coast. The Lionesses boss was accompanied by Football Association support staff to plan logistics and get a feel for the facilities.

"We received a really warm welcome in Australia," said Wiegman. "The people at the stadium and the hotel were really nice and are happy to have us stay with them next summer. The hotel and the stadium look really good and the area around them is really nice too.

"We were able to get a good picture of what lies ahead but it also gave us a chance to get connected with the people there and talk through our needs, what they can provide us and now we're able to work through our plans.

"We can really get our preparations ready now and can inform them of what we are looking for so they can help facilitate our needs."

But six months out from England's opening game at the 52,500-seater Lang Park against either Senegal, Haiti or Chile, what are the biggest calls facing Wiegman?

Does the squad need more experience?

There is no doubt England lost two of the most senior players in their dressing room straight after the European Championships, when Ellen White and Jill Scott retired. Although Scott wasn't a starter at the Euros, Wiegman loved her presence around the camp.

The departure of her and record-scorer White saw a combined 274 caps leave the England team. So will Wiegman look to recall other experienced players who haven't featured as much in recent years?

A few who do fit into this group have moved clubs in January in a clear bid to get more first-team football ahead of the World Cup. Jordan Nobbs wasn't selected for the Euros after a late-season injury, but has 69 caps in the bag and if she can put a run of form together for new club Aston Villa, will be pushing for a place at what could be her last World Cup.

Elsewhere, Wiegman has never formally closed the door on former Lionesses captain Steph Houghton, who narrowly missed out on the Euros but has 121 caps and six major international tournaments under her belt. If England need an experienced squad player to cover across the back four, Houghton could be an option.

The battle for the No.9 shirt

It may seem a while off, but as things stand, this is probably the toughest call Wiegman will have to make ahead of the opening game. White was England's first choice central striker for the Euros but her retirement has left a chance for others to stake a claim.

The leading contender at this stage is Alessia Russo, who played a huge role in the Euros coming off the bench, ending up as the third-highest scorer in the tournament. She has continued her good form at Manchester United in the Women's Super League this season but has seen her time on the pitch for England slightly limited due to injury.

Russo missed the October international with USA and only saw 64 minutes of action in the November double-header with Japan and Norway. Beth England is another contender, but she wasn't even in the squad for the final internationals of last year and has moved to Tottenham to kickstart her season with the hope of making the squad.

As the leading English goalscorer in the WSL this season, Rachel Daly is also in with a great shout of starting. Daly scored against Japan and Norway, while in the latter game she was started as a striker under Wiegman for the first time. Her club manager, Carla Ward, will be picking her in that role at domestic level, but Daly was deployed at left-back for the Lionesses during the Euros.

It is a huge call that could have a massive impact on England's chances.

Who will get the nod to replace Beth Mead?

The Lionesses have plenty of strength in depth across the forward department, but there isn't a team on the planet who wouldn't miss Beth Mead. The Arsenal forward is likely to miss the tournament, as she is out for the remainder of the domestic season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in November.

Replacing her goals and assists won't be easy, Mead was voted the Player of the Tournament as England brought football home last summer. But with Wiegman known to stick to a set starting XI, someone will have to step into Mead's role on the right channel next summer.

The list of options is endless, but Manchester City winger Chloe Kelly may get the first chance to stake her claim at the Arnold Clark Cup next month with games against Italy, Belgium and Korea. Kelly was used only as an impact player last summer but ended up scoring the winning goal in the final against Germany.

Although the 25-year-old said last week she was happy with 'knowing her role' in the Lionesses set-up, she will also have one eye on impressing Wiegman in England's first tournament of 2023. Lauren James, Ebony Salmon, Nikita Parris and Katie Robinson will also be in contention for a place in the wide areas.

Stick or twist with her trusted system?

Wiegman was rigid with her starting XI throughout the Euros campaign, picking the same team for all six games. Although she was always quick on using her substitutes when needed, England stuck to a 4-2-3-1 throughout the competition with a trusted line-up.

But the World Cup is a different beast; England will have a greater variety of opposition and have an extra knockout game to contend with, assuming they qualify from the group stage.

Even though the Dutch coach is known to prefer a settled team, Wiegman will still look to experiment with different options next month when England look to retain the Arnold Clark Cup. Hypothetically, if she selected a different system against Korea in the opening game and the Lionesses win well, it would give her another option to consider for the summer.

If any of the world's best are able to work England out in time for next summer, will there be a 'Plan B'? One of the biggest conundrums for any manager in charge of an in-form team is knowing when changes are needed to keep the run going.

It remains to be seen whether England line up in a similar way at the World Cup finals, or will Wiegman attempt to evolve the team in a new direction? This decision could make or break the Lionesses' quest for back-to-back tournaments.

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