'We have time' - Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman explains why Georgia Stanway is back in England squad despite not playing for Bayern Munich since December

Stanway's last match was at the end of last year, when she played in Bayern's 3-2 defeat at Arsenal in the Champions League group stage on December 18. That's because, at the end of January, the club announced that she had to undergo knee surgery which would rule her out for 'several months'.

However, despite still not returning to action for the German champions, Stanway was included in Wiegman's England squad on Tuesday, for the Nations League games against Portugal and Spain. It offers a big boost to the Lionesses, who have also been able to welcome Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood back from injuries this month, especially with the European Championships less than two months away. But there are questions about how much Stanway can be involved and how fit she really is.

Asked about the midfielder on Tuesday, Wiegman said: "I'm very happy some players are back. We still need to build. Georgia is in training. She starts full training and what we hope is that she comes into camp and continues building with us and, hopefully, towards the Euros. It's important that she's healthy, that she can handle loads, training loads, and recover from it, and then perform at that level. We have the time to see that.

"Of course, we don't play that many games and there's no [club] competition anymore, except for the players in the U.S, but there's enough training and we need to figure out if she gets her performances right. Then, of course, you need to be healthy, you need to be able to train and recover from training sessions and then hopefully we can build and see where she's at. She needs to be performing at the highest level, at her highest level, to compete for a position, as with anyone else."

It's not only Stanway who is facing a race against time to get fit for this summer's Euros. Hemp and Greenwood might have returned but they do not have any club games to play now, leaving England's three matches before the tournament as the only serious competitive action they can take part in, in order to be match fit. Asked if that is a concern, Wiegman conceded that "it is", but added: "We still have almost two months. We have to keep building on that and manage it well, to keep fit."

Then there is Lauren James, who has missed out on the squad after withdrawing from England duty with a hamstring injury in April. That issue has kept her sidelined ever since and leaves her availability for the Euros in question. Wiegman, however, is hopeful that she can return soon.

"Where she should be at, she is at," she explained. "She can't join us in the next camp but, again, also with her, we're trying to build together with club. She really wants to go to the Euros and hopefully we can get her fit and ready to go into it. Of course, we know finding balance in your squad, you can't bring in three or four players who are in that stage, but probably one player that has been doing really well, that could be an opportunity."

England will welcome Portugal to Wembley on May 30 before making the journey to Spain for a clash with La Roja on June 3. These are the last games for players to really stake their case to be in the Lionesses' squad for the Euros, which kicks off on July 2.