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Alessia Russo England 1:1Getty/GOAL

No Alessia Russo, no Plan B for England? Lionesses at risk of becoming too reliant on star striker amid lack of alternative No.9s

The Arsenal forward has been a consistent and reliable performer at international level for several years now - but what happens if she becomes unavailable?

Ameé Ruszkai

  • When England travelled to Switzerland in the summer of 2025, to defend their European Championship title, Sarina Wiegman certainly didn’t lack options at centre-forward. Alessia Russo, the Lionesses’ first choice No.9, went into the tournament having enjoyed the best club season of her career to date, hitting double figures for goals and assists as Arsenal won the Champions League.

    Emerging as her back-up was Aggie Beever-Jones, the Chelsea youngster who’d had her biggest season yet for the Blues as they won a domestic treble without losing a game. She played more minutes than ever before and scored at a strong rate, even breaking her England duck just before the Euros.

    Added into the mix was Michelle Agyemang. The Arsenal youngster was called up by the Lionesses just three months before the Euros began but her impact on debut, scoring after 41 seconds, impressed everyone, including Wiegman. She would be included in the squad as a wildcard.

    All three played their part as the Lionesses won the Euros that summer, all scoring in Switzerland in a month that ended with England beating Spain on penalties to lift the title. Fast-forward just 15 months, though, and with the Women’s World Cup only eight months away, Wiegman has gone from being spoilt for choice when it comes to her striker options to potentially being concerned at how heavily reliant she has become on Russo.

  • Lack of options

    Michelle Agyemang England Women 2025
    Getty Images

    Agyemang seemed to have marked herself out as the back-up to Russo, only to suffer a devastating knee injury that she's still recovering from

    Russo was the only recognised striker called up by England for this month’s World Cup qualifier with Greece, in part because Beever-Jones has had a tricky time since the Euros last year. She started the 2025-26 season in great form, but that soon dwindled and then became mixed in with some niggling injuries. The 23-year-old now hasn’t scored in a competitive game since the League Cup final back in March.

    Agyemang has had an even tougher time. The 20-year-old tore her ACL during England’s first camp post-Euros and hasn’t played since. It doesn’t appear that her return is right around the corner either, and she will need time to build her fitness back up once it comes.

    Wiegman isn’t spoilt for choice when it comes to other options, either. Issy Goodwin looked like she had put herself in the picture to be next up when she enjoyed a good first season in the Women’s Super League last year, for London City Lionesses. However, the 23-year-old has struggled for minutes so far this term, though she has scored twice in her two league appearances.

    Beyond Goodwin, there are experienced veterans like Beth England and Nikita Parris, whom Wiegman has brought in before after long spells in international wilderness, but that’s it really.

  • Adapting but not thriving

    Beth Mead England Women 2025
    Getty Images

    Beth Mead is one of several players who can adapt to plug a gap at centre-forward, but it is one of several temporary solutions that doesn't entirely satisfy

    Of course, there are other options in the squad who can adjust to play as a No.9. Players like Beth Mead, Lauren Hemp and Lauren James have done so for club or country, or both, in the past.

    It’s not like goals are a huge issue, either. Only Spain and Germany scored more in the top-tier of UEFA’s World Cup qualifying process earlier this year, with seven different scorers getting involved in England’s 13 goals across six games.

    But what England lack when Russo is not on the pitch was evident once she was subbed off with just 17 minutes remaining of Friday’s win over Greece. Without that focal point, the Lionesses did still threaten, but they didn't look as strong in a structural sense and couldn’t add to the 3-0 lead that Russo played a key part in establishing, with a goal and an assist to her name. Instead, Greece got one back through Kallisti Brouksair, which will have really frustrated Wiegman.

  • Opportunity missed

    Sarina Wiegman 2026
    Getty Images

    Wiegman would've had friendlies to experiment in right now had England not suffered a heavy defeat to Spain back in June that forced them into the World Cup play-offs

    In an ideal world, Wiegman would've had an opportunity in these final two international breaks of the year to experiment in the forward line and look at potential options for if Russo was, for whatever reason, unavailable. Her incredible injury record is a testament to her all-round professionalism, but England should not take the 27-year-old's availability for granted. Anything can happen in football, after all.

    However, England's inability to secure automatic qualification for next year's World Cup, thanks to a 4-0 hammering at the hands of Spain in June, in a game from which the Lionesses only needed a point, means these competitive qualifiers are on their calendar rather than the useful friendlies that teams like Spain, Denmark, France and Germany get to play.

  • Opportunities running out

    England Women Training Session
    Getty Images Sport

    Russo has been excellent for England ever since she earned the role as first-choice centre-forward, but that doesn't mean the Lionesses shouldn't have a Plan B up front

    There might still be opportunities. If England get a couple of early goals in Tuesday’s second leg against Greece, then Wiegman might look to make some changes that help her learn a thing or two about her other options.

    The Nations League will occupy the Lionesses in the first three international breaks of 2027, meaning the only window for friendlies will be just before the World Cup. But perhaps the draw will be kind and give England some games in which they can experiment a little.

    After all, it feels like Wiegman needs to look at what her team looks like if Russo isn't in it. Can she look at the way James has been used effectively as a false nine at Chelsea? What would she want in particular from Mead in that role? Could she bring someone else in, like Goodwin, just to see what they can offer? Is it just a case of waiting for Beever-Jones and Agyemang to return, then going from there?

    That Russo is irreplaceable in this team speaks volumes of her particular qualities, and for her to have hit form with three goals in her last three games, having endured a slow start to the season, is good news for her, for England and for Arsenal.

    But it's always important to have a Plan B and, right now, it's not clear exactly what the Lionesses' would be, should it be needed.