To understand the significance of the England vs Spain match for the players, one need look no further than Leah Williamson's unwavering dedication. Despite having been out of action for nearly a month, the Lionesses captain is leaving no stone unturned in her quest to regain full fitness and lead her team at Wembley on Tuesday, as confirmed by Sarina Wiegman during her pre-match press conference. Williamson's determination is evident in her rigorous training regimen, which includes private sessions with the medical team and active participation in tactical preparations at St George's Park. The stakes are high, with only the top team in the four-nation group guaranteed a spot in the World Cup, making this match a potential defining moment for who will travel to Brazil.
If Williamson is not deemed fit to play, the centre-back partnership may fall to two of England's most patient players, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Esme Morgan, who have been vying for a starting spot alongside Jess Carter, Alex Greenwood, and Maya Le Tissier. Both Wubben-Moy and Morgan have had opportunities to play during recent qualifiers, with the former having been the ultimate squad player, and the latter having taken a significant career risk by moving to Washington Spirit, which has paid off with her development and contribution to her club's back-to-back NWSL Championship games.
The possibility of Morgan and Wubben-Moy starting together in front of over 70,000 fans at Wembley would be a full-circle moment, given their shared history of being called up to the national team for the first time in the same camp in 2020.