Lauren Hemp has the X-factor: Returning England winger can lift the Lionesses to new levels for Euros defence

Portugal had no idea what to do with Hemp at Wembley. Her direct approach to the game is made all the more dangerous by her rapid pace and pinpoint final ball, of all which was on show as England raced into a 5-0 lead before half-time.

The second of those goals was a perfect example of what Hemp brings to the table. Hurdling a desperate tackle from former Chelsea defender Ana Borges, the 24-year-old drew another member of Portugal's back line out from the box and delivered a cross that caused total chaos. Eventually finding its way to Lucy Bronze to head home, after Beth Mead forced Ines Pereira to make a top save, it was one of several bright moments Hemp produced, despite only playing 163 minutes of football since suffering a knee injury that required surgery back in November.

It's been a feature of Hemp's comeback, really, that her level has been incredibly high so soon. In the three games she was able to play for Manchester City before the end of the Women's Super League season, the winger just looked so sharp and like she'd not even been away, despite being absent for six months before her club return.

For some, that's been a surprise - but not for Wiegman. "No, because I know how hard they've worked and how much they've done to come back," she told ITV on Friday, asked if she has been shocked by the level each of Hemp, Greenwood and Stanway have been able to show during this camp. "It's a step up and it's very good that we can build them now.

"It's the Nations League. You want to win. But at the same time, you're in preparation for the Euros, so they need meaningful minutes, but you have to make decisions to win. When you score so much, it's easier to make subs."

Greenwood and Stanway were two of those subs Wiegman could make after the starting XI had been able to get England off to a flying start, and for former Lionesses goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain, Hemp's selection as one of those starters felt important to note.

"She's such an exciting player and it tells you everything you need to know that she's just come back from injury, and Sarina has put her straight back into her starting line-up," she told ITV. "She's a phenomenal talent. She's direct, she's quick, she'll give you assists, she'll deliver crosses, she'll get on the end of them. She'll give you everything."

This season, the wide positions have been an issue for England at times. Hemp had her knee surgery in November and didn't return until late April, Chloe Kelly was completely out-of-favour at Man City in the first half of the campaign, Beth Mead has endured ups and downs in her form, while James hasn't been in action since April, having also missed a large chunk of time before Christmas.

But that is all changing for the better as the Euros approach. As well as Hemp's sharp performances since her return, Kelly has been superb since her January loan switch to Arsenal and there have been encouraging signs from Mead, too, not least her classy match-winning assist in the Champions League final at the end of last month.

James, however, is still a doubt. The Chelsea star didn't play for her club again in the 2024-25 season after suffering that hamstring injury during England's last camp, in early April, and she wasn't called up for this week's games as a result of her ongoing recovery.

"We are trying to get her fit," Wiegman said of James on Monday. "Of course, first of all, she's trying to get fit with all the support from Chelsea and with all the support from us. She's doing really well and we're moving forward. She will need to tick some boxes and when she does and we can progress, then that's very good, because we think she can make a difference at the Euros, but she needs to be healthy, she needs to recover from loads and of course, she needs to perform at her highest level. I'm pretty positive that's going to work."

Wiegman will name her squad for the Euros on Thursday, and it would shock no one if James was included, both because of the positivity with which she has been delivering fitness updates in recent weeks and because the Chelsea star is the kind of player you are willing to take a chance on. If she's not ready as the tournament gets closer, there is always the chance to swap her out. Or, if she might be fit midway through it, that's also something most managers would be willing to accept, given how game-changing James' talent is.

However, those potential risks - not with James' fitness or well-being, which will not be taken, but rather with being a player down in a matchday squad for some of those early games - are easier to take now that England have Hemp back. Like James, albeit in totally different ways, she is the kind of player who can create a moment of magic to win a game in the biggest of moments.

"She's got the fear factor," Anita Asante, a 71-time England international, said on ITV. "Do you get tight to a player like Hemp when you know she's quick and she can roll you, spin you? But she can also exploit space in behind. She can invert, make those central runs and become like a striker and stretch teams. She causes all sorts of problems for opposition players and challenges their decision-making."

Before the Euros are upon England, though, Hemp will first be vital for all of those reasons on Tuesday, as the Lionesses take on Spain, knowing that they have to win to progress to the finals of the Nations League. That might seem somewhat unimportant when the Euros are so close on the horizon and understandably dominating the focus of many, but this competition is a real goal for Wiegman's side - not least because it also impacts the process of World Cup qualifying.

Spain will dominate. With the Barcelona midfield trio of Patri Guijarro, Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas, La Roja will see more of the ball and dictate play, with the attacking input of Ona Batlle from the right-back position sure to pin Hemp in at times, too. Fortunately, defending is actually one of the winger's strengths, with her desire to honour those duties a really admirable quality.

Another key trait of Hemp's that will be crucial in this match-up, though, is her electric pace, which is sure to be valuable to England on the counter. She might not get as many touches in this outing as she did in her terrific display against Portugal, but she's sure to still be as dangerous as the Lionesses look to not only reach the Nations League finals. but also send a message to the whole of Europe by beating Spain, the world champions, for the second time this year.