Chloe Kelly, Beth Mead & 13 Lionesses who need a huge WSL season ahead of England's 2027 Women's World Cup bid

Admittedly, nine months is a long time in football, so plenty could change between now and next summer, but it does seem unlikely that Hannah Hampton will lose her place as England's No.1 ahead of the 2027 Women's World Cup. The hierarchy behind her, though, is a little more even.

Anna Moorhouse has been a constant in Lionesses squads since late 2024, a status unquestionably helped by the consistency of her game time in the United States with the Orlando Pride. However, Khiara Keating was recognised as the second-choice goalkeeper, behind Hampton, at Euro 2025, highlighting the belief in her talent and potential that Wiegman holds.

Keating dropped out of the England senior squads last season because of a lack of game time at Manchester City. Making just seven starts in all competitions, the 22-year-old found herself with the Under-23s at times as a result, making her decision to leave the Cityzens this summer somewhat unsurprising.

Keating has reunited with former City boss Gareth Taylor at Liverpool, where she is expected to be the Reds' No.1. If she can showcase the qualities that allowed her to break into the Lionesses set-up during a remarkable 2023-24 campaign, one overseen by Taylor, she can force her way back into Wiegman's squad for the World Cup.

If Keating was to get back into the squad, who would it be at the expense of? That will depend on the form of Moorhouse, but also Ellie Roebuck, who worked her way back into the England set-up amid Keating's lack of minutes last season.

It's not long since Roebuck was seen as the long-term heir to the Lionesses' goalkeeping throne. She broke into the Man City first team as a teenager and shone so brightly that it was assumed that when the changing of the guard took place in between the sticks, with Karen Bardsley and Carly Telford both in their 30s at the 2019 World Cup, it would be Roebuck who assumed the No.1 role.

However, Wiegman made Mary Earps first-choice when she took over in 2021, and the new London City Lionesses shot-stopper performed so well that she kept hold of that shirt for several years. Roebuck remained in squads but as a back-up, before a lack of game time and a real health scare in the 2023-24 season saw her fall out of contention.

Having recovered from suffering a type of stroke, Roebuck, who is still only 26 years old, returned to the WSL last year to join Aston Villa and has been involved in three of the last four England camps, despite juggling starting duties in the Midlands with Sabrina D'Angelo.

There looks set to be further competition for her place this season, with Akane Okuma and Emily Ramsey both signed after D'Angelo departed, but if Roebuck can come out on top in that battle, her chances of making her first World Cup squad will be high.

One of the biggest questions around London City Lionesses' hectic summer transfer window concerns the young players in the squad. After giving more minutes to talents aged 23 or under than any other team in the WSL last season, the influx of established stars means that looks unlikely to be the case again in the upcoming campaign. What does that mean, then, for Freya Godfrey?

Named London City's Players' Player of the Season last term, the 21-year-old broke into the England senior set-up thanks to her strong form and signed a new contract this summer until 2029. But the competition for her place in the forward line has increased significantly, particularly due to the arrival of Kadidiatou Diani from Lyon.

If Godfrey's minutes decrease drastically this year, her chances of making England's World Cup squad will too. However, if she can keep her place in the line-up, after registering more goals and assists in the WSL last term than any other London City player, she could be set for a memorable experience in Brazil.

Left-back has reared its ugly head again as a problem position for England. Wiegman has lacked options there ever since her arrival five years ago, with Rachel Daly, Jess Carter and Alex Greenwood all playing out of position in the role in the last three major tournaments. Last season, that lack of obvious, high-quality options was not helped by injuries to Niamh Charles, who looked to have nailed the spot down for a spell.

Charles is making a fresh start this year, swapping Chelsea for Man City. The WSL champions were in desperate need of a new face for the role, after playing Greenwood there to varying degrees of success last term, and believe to have found what they need in Charles.

Speaking to GOAL before the new season, City boss Andree Jeglertz placed great value in the 27-year-old's experience of a winning culture at Chelsea, adding: "She's also a great personality and she has quality as a left-back that is good both in the defending and the attacking part."

Charles should be a key starter in this City team and the style of play should allow her to flourish. If she can put a difficult 2025-26 season behind her and return to strong form, it will also be great news for Wiegman as she figures out her left-back options for Brazil.

If fit, there is no doubt about Leah Williamson’s role for the Lionesses. As captain, she is a nailed-on starter and an important pillar in this team. The key words in all of that, though, are ‘if fit’.

It’s been a rough few years for the Arsenal star. An ACL injury towards the end of the 2022-23 season ruled her out of that summer’s World Cup, robbing her of the chance to lead her nation out on the biggest stage, and though she did manage to bounce back to captain the Lionesses to Euro 2025 glory, she has struggled for fitness since. A knee operation came after that tournament, ruling Williamson out for several months, and 2026 kicked off with calf, thigh and hamstring strains, all meaning that she started just two WSL games last term.

This season, then, is about Williamson putting all of that behind her. Again, if she is fit, she’s a starter, the captain and a key player. England will hope that is the case going into the 2027 World Cup.

Excitement around Grace Clinton has been building ever since the previous World Cup, thanks to her wonderful 2023-24 season on loan at Tottenham. That led to an England debut and allowed the versatile midfielder to break into Manchester United’s senior team, where she continued her great momentum.

Then, last summer, Clinton swapped United for Man City in a stunning deadline-day deal. But while Jess Park, who went the other way in a remarkable swap transfer, enjoyed a great first season in red, Clinton struggled in blue. That was in part due to some niggles, competition for places and playing out of position, but also because the 23-year-old couldn’t quite stamp her mark on games when given the opportunity. It had a negative impact on her England fortunes, too, with Clinton's minutes declining as Wiegman noted a lack thereof at club level.

City boss Jeglertz expects this season to be different. "I'm very excited to see where the next step is for her," he told GOAL recently. "It's tough because there was a lot of expectation on her. Then, coming into our environment, it's a new thing. It's a tough step to take and it was up and down for her emotionally, with injuries, but at the end of the day, she was playing the FA Cup final. She was in the starting XI. I trust a lot in her. But we need consistency from her. She really wants to take that step. She's very eager, so I'm very excited to see where we can take her this year."

As long as that is forwards, and with game time, Clinton should be in the England squad and fighting for minutes at the World Cup. If not, though, she could find herself watching from home.

One of the breakthrough stars for England in the 2025-26 campaign was Laura Blindkilde Brown, who played her way into Man City’s starting XI and held a key role as the club won a first WSL title in 10 years. Such form was slow to pay off on the Lionesses front, with a surprising lack of minutes in the four friendlies with which Wiegman’s side closed 2025, but opportunities would come in the New Year, in starts against Iceland and Ukraine.

Blindkilde Brown’s emergence helps deal with a notable issue in the England squad, as there is a lack of depth in the deeper midfield roles. However, in order to keep herself in the mix to be a solution there, the 22-year-old needs to back up her big year in 2026-27 amid growing competition for places.

Sam Coffey’s arrival at City in January presents the biggest threat to Blindkilde Brown's game time, with Clinton and Sydney Lohmann also expected to have more impactful seasons in midfield this time around. But there will be more minutes available now that City have returned to the Champions League, and if Blindkilde Brown can take her opportunities in 2026-27 as she did last term, her chances of going to Brazil will be huge.

Little over 12 months ago, when England retained their European Championship title in dramatic fashion, Chloe Kelly was the star. Her heroics helped the Lionesses complete a remarkable run to glory, with key contributions in the quarter-final win over Sweden, the incredible comeback against Italy in the semis and then the final, where her penalty downed Spain in the shootout.

That all came off the back of one of the most difficult seasons of Kelly's career, too, which saw her fall completely out-of-favour at Man City until a January loan move to Arsenal reignited her form ahead of the Euros. There was thus a lot of hope about what Kelly's 2025-26 season could look like given the momentum she carried into it from that success with England. However, in the end, it never really got going.

Kelly was plagued by injuries which meant she started just three games before the winter break, with only six more starts coming before the end of the campaign. Given how proven she is as a game-changer, Wiegman tried to give Kelly the exposure she needed during England camps, but a lack of sharpness was often apparent, with the winger even limping off 23 minutes into a friendly with Ghana in December. It just wasn't her year.

"I had big goals to do amazing things at Arsenal in my first full season and I was a little disappointed I wasn't able to," she said recently. "I think I needed this summer to work on myself physically, balancing working in the gym, on the pitch and getting downtime. I am in a really good place at the moment. My main goal is to stay fit and fresh all season and be ready when called upon."

A new season will be welcome as Kelly looks to be the difference-maker that Arsenal, and England, know she can be in the build-up to next summer's World Cup. Proving her fitness will be vital if the 28-year-old wants to be as prominent in Brazil as she was in Switzerland.

Stop us if you've heard this one before, but Aggie Beever-Jones' 2025-26 season was plagued by niggling injuries. The forward actually started in wonderful form, netting a hat-trick against AC Milan in Chelsea's final pre-season outing and backed it up with goals in each of her first four WSL games. However, only two more goals in all competitions would follow after the end of September.

Part of that was down to form, with the 23-year-old unable to find the back of the net in her next 10 matches despite starting eight of them, and then injuries became an issue in the New Year, particularly with her ankle, meaning she started just twice in 2026.

If Beever-Jones is injured, and with Michelle Agyemang recovering from an ACL tear, England lack natural options to back-up Russo in the centre-forward role. Wiegman will hope to count on the Chelsea star more reliably in the coming year, then, with good form and health throughout 2026-27 to be massively welcomed by all parties.

It would be a real surprise if Beth Mead doesn't go to the World Cup next summer, but the question is what sort of role might she play. The 31-year-old only made one start at Euro 2025, after being the star of Euro 2022, though she did have a big part to play from the bench. Even so, Mead's target will be to be a starter in Brazil, something she'll strive towards in the colours of Man City now, after leaving Arsenal.

Some raised questions over the amount of game time Mead might get at City, given she will be competing with all of Mary Fowler, Lauren Hemp, Aoba Fujino and Iman Beney for minutes out wide, but she showed the versatility to play centrally at the most recent Euros and there is a suggestion that she could revive that role in Manchester, with Jeglertz noting her ability to play "in many positions".

"Beth is going to fit perfectly into how we are playing," the City boss added. "She is a player that likes to play between the lines of the opponent. That's definitely what we want from her. Then the personality that is amazing. You can see in her eyes, she's still very eager to be part of this and to learn more."

That doesn't sound like a manager talking about a rotational player. It could therefore be a big year for Mead, the kind of which pushes her back into contention as an England starter.

At this moment, it's unclear what Michelle Agyemang's 2026-27 season will look like. But what is well known is how much of an impact player she was at Euro 2025, something that Wiegman and England would love to have at their disposal again at the World Cup.

Agyemang tore her ACL at the end of October last year, in a friendly against Australia. Typically, the recovery period for that injury is around nine to 12 months, granted nothing happens to further set a player back. That means, if all has gone well, the 20-year-old should be back relatively soon. However, after spending time at loan at Brighton in the previous two seasons, it looks like her 2026-27 campaign will begin at Arsenal.

Whether that is just to ease Agyemang back into action, with a potential loan to follow in January, only time will tell. But if she is back fit and available to play, Wiegman will be desperate for the young forward to get the game time necessary to make her a viable option to take to next summer's tournament.

Ella Morris doesn't have an England cap to her name yet, but it wouldn't be a surprise if that changed during the coming season. The 23-year-old won her first senior call-up in May 2025, for the final camp before the Euros squad was chosen. However, in just her second training session with the Lionesses, she suffered a devastating ACL injury that would rule her out for 11 months.

“It's the highest high to have got there, and knowing that was the camp before the Euros. To then be sat immobile on your sofa, watching that same squad go on and win a Euros, it's really tough mentally, knowing that there was a small chance that I could have made that squad and been part of that success," she told reporters ahead of the new season.

But Morris is back now, she's upbeat about fitness and physical tests that show she is in a better place than she was before the injury, and she could provide Wiegman with depth in the right-back position, something that is really lacking and made all the more pressing given Bronze is soon to turn 35. The England boss clearly saw something in the Tottenham defender before and the hope will be that Morris can show her quality again as she looks to build on a strong end to a difficult 2025-26 season.

“It's definitely an ambition," she replied, asked about becoming a fixture for the Lionesses at right-back. "Right now, I just need to focus on starting at Spurs and getting as many minutes as I can to showcase myself to Sarina. But obviously, I know there's a World Cup on the horizon, so I think any player would jump at the opportunity to go to that. It's definitely in the back of my head, but I know what I need to achieve first to be able to get the merit to go."

When Wiegman announced her squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Ukraine in May, there was, once again, no room for Ruby Mace. It didn't take long for the admin behind Everton's official X account to share their feelings on that matter, posting a graphic to showcase, as the caption stated, that: "No Lioness made more interceptions or won more tackles during the 25-26 season than WSL Player of the Season nominee Ruby Mace."

Mace has one England cap to her name, won in December 2024 as Wiegman fielded an experimental line-up for a friendly against Switzerland. She was deployed in a holding midfield role that night, one that the Lionesses need some natural depth in as if anything was to happen to Keira Walsh, they would be in a tricky position.

However, the problem is that, while Mace enjoyed a brilliant season last year for Everton, she did so in a centre-back role. England do not need more centre-backs. It might, in fact, be the best-stocked position in the entire squad. What they do need, though, is more depth in midfield.

Could Mace's role at Everton change this season? The manager has, so perhaps. Unless there is a bout of injuries to English centre-backs, it feels like it has to if she is going to break into this Lionesses squad right now. If it does, it would be welcome news for Wiegman with regards to reinforcing the midfield position.