'Absolutely a headache' - Sarina Wiegman reveals Lionesses selection problems ahead of clash against 'very powerful' Germany

England face Germany in a marquee international friendly this week, and she has accepted that she has an abundance of options in defence. The likes of Chelsea's Millie Bright, Manchester City's Alex Greenwood, Manchester United's Maya Le Tissier, and Arsenal's Leah Williamson are all vying for a start in central defence. Williamson's club-mate Lotte Wubben-Moy is also in the squad but is injured for the Germany game.

Wiegman accepts that England face a tough challenge against Germany, having beaten them in the Euro 2021 final when the Lionesses were victorious at Wembley. Germany are currently ranked as the fourth-best team in the world by FIFA, while Wiegman's charges are second, behind the USA.

Wiegman told reporters: "Centre-back is absolutely a headache because they are all really good and really competing but they are headaches I want to have. Everybody wants minutes, we want to try things, and hopefully by the end of year we have lots of information."

Asked about the game being a rematch of that incredible 2021 final, she added: "Of course we will always cherish that memory and it was one of the biggest moments in my career, in my life. We are focused on now with a different team and it’s the start of the next EUROs cycle. So many things have happened to the team since. Germany have always been a powerful team, who want to play the possession game but don’t hesitate to play the long ball either. They have a new coach now who might want to do different things so we’ll prepare for everything. It's really good for us to get that experience at the highest level."

After facing Germany at Wembley, the Lionesses meet South Africa on October 29 in another friendly. They then play another marquee friendly in November against the USA.