James the star as England scrape win, but lose Walsh

After a disappointing performance in their opening game against Haiti on Saturday, England fans thought that manager Sarina Wiegman would have to do something she is often reluctant to. Make changes.

She played the same starting XI in every match at last summer’s Euros, with only 18 of the 23 player squad getting on the pitch, but today she made two, and they worked like a charm.

Lauren James replaced Lauren Hemp on the left wing, whilst Rachel Daly was also brought into the side, though not up front. Daly was selected ahead of Jess Carter, and returned to left back, the position she played last summer, Alex Greenwood back in her favoured left centre back role.

England came out the blocks with energy, starting on the front foot, pressing high and after six minutes, they were ahead. Fed the ball by Daly with a short pass 25 yards from goal, James turned on a sixpence, drove past her marker, opened up her body and placed the ball into the bottom right corner with a right-footed shot across goal from 20 yards out. A stunning finish, and a “dream” moment for her, which “most importantly helped the team win” as she said in her post-match interview.

England stayed in the ascendency for another 15 minutes or so, Daly and Bronze bombing forward from the full back positions to provide width in attack. England had four of their six shots on target in the first twenty minutes, two of which came from James. One was of course the goal, the other when she connected with a Bronze cross six yards out, but could only put it straight at the keeper with Rikke Sevecke of Everton doing just enough to put her off.

Denmark’s first real attack of the game came in the 24th minute, Daly’s pass to the right, just inside the opposition half, was careless and seized upon by Arsenal midfielder Kathrine Møller Kühl. She played it to Janni Thomsen on the right wing, just over the halfway line. Thomsen made an inverted run to the edge of the box on the right hand side and slotted in Madsen, whose shot from the right went wide of the far post.

The Danish team had a couple more chances before the half hour mark, and then just when England thought they had survived a spell of pressure and could look to reassert dominance, disaster struck.

In the 35th minute, England’s holding midfielder Keira Walsh, who last summer became the most expensive player in women’s football following a transfer to Barcelona, stretched to intercept a pass and went down, her studs having got caught in the ground. She instantly put her hand up to ask the referee to stop play and as medical staff rushed onto the pitch, she mouthed: “I’ve done my knee.”

Walsh was stretchered off and whilst she was seen on crutches after the match, fears very much remain that she is the latest in an alarmingly long list of high profile female footballers to have injured their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

After such a promising start to the game from England, the rest of the first half, and the second half were more like the Haiti game. Lacking intensity in the press and appearing sluggish, allowing Denmark to come back into the game once more. Chances fell to Bronze, substitute Bethany England, and Alessia Russo, whose best came in the 70th minute when she rolled her marker before firing wide, but the Lionesses couldn’t add to their six shots on target in the first half, never mind a second goal, and were instead left clinging on towards the end.

Just as against China introduction of Amalie Vangsgaard up top with 19 minutes to play, allowed new Bayern Munich signing Pernille Harder to drop back to her favoured attacking midfield position. This gave them an added threat, most evident when Vansgaard headed off the post with three minutes to play, Daly and Greenwood switching positions, leaving her free.

Mary Earps again had a couple of key saves to make too, including getting a hand to a cross which looked set to sneak into the far top corner.

It’s always a blow when a team loses a player to injury, especially if it looks as though it is serious. Even more so when said player is one of the best in the world in their position, and in the case of Walsh also the heartbeat of the team. To deal with this blow mid-match means adapting the game plan, and also, for the players and coaches, trying to put to one side the concern will have for their friend and teammate to see out the match. Sarina Wiegman was asked about the impact of Walsh’s injury after the match: “I think [the rest of the team] did a great job… Obviously it’s not nice.”

Tactically, England set up well. Whilst many would have wanted to see WSL Golden Boot Winner Rachel Daly start up top, her role at left back was key to some of her side’s best moments. Particularly the width she offers in attack, enabling James to sit narrower and cut inside, almost playing as a second ‘10’ or attacking midfielder alongside Ella Toone. Alex Greenwood playing at centre back rather than left back, was better too, her calm distribution an important asset to help England restart attacks.

The Lionesses’ final group game is at 12:00 (BST) on Tuesday against China. With six points from six, they need just one more, or Denmark to beat Haiti, in order to reach the last sixteen. If Walsh was fit, I imagine Wiegman would stick with the same system, but the big question is how this all changes without her.

Laura Coombs came on for Walsh when she was stretchered off, with Stanway dropping deeper. Stanway, Coombs and Toone are all generally considered to be attack-minded midfielders, the same can be said of Jordan Nobbs. Katie Zelem of Manchester United is the only player considered more of a defensive midfielder, but it will likely take a slight change in system, with two players sat deeper, to make up the lost output of Walsh.

Former England Striker and Euro 2022 winner Ellen White was part of the punditry team for BBC One’s live coverage, she stated that “last summer, everything went through Keira. No, there wasn’t a plan B.”

By Tuesday, Wiegman will have to have found one.