Katie Zelem, Jordan Nobbs and six England hopefuls Sarina Wiegman could turn to as the Lionesses' midfield injury crisis deepens ahead of Euro 2025

There are some really exciting young players coming through the England set-up, but it can sometimes be detrimental to a prospect's development to thrust them into such a demanding environment, like the Lionesses' one, so soon - unless they have the right character and experience. Wiegman clearly believes Symonds is ready for an opportunity, having called her up for the first time this week.

There are plenty of reasons to believe she is ready. The 22-year-old has been part of the first team at Brighton for four years now, racking up over 50 Women's Super League appearances already, and she is a player Wiegman and her staff know a lot about because of her regular involvement in the England youth teams.

As the Lionesses continue to turn to the Under-23s for the next player up, it makes total sense for Symonds to get the sort of opportunity that has also been granted to the likes of Mace, Blindkilde Brown, Jess Park and Aggie Beever-Jones recently. If she can take it, she could be on the plane to Switzerland this summer.

Another potential gem in the England youth set-up is Lexi Potter, who looks to have an increasingly bright future. The 18-year-old has regularly caught the eye as a goal-scoring midfielder in the U17s and U19s and her ability to thrive in that box-to-box role is something that the Lionesses will certainly hope continues, as it is a position they desperately need to build depth in.

Potter is one of several midfielders in the youth teams who have shown promise but what sets her apart is the regular game time she is getting this season in the WSL. On loan at Crystal Palace from Chelsea, Potter was one of the Eagles' top performers when they won promotion last season and, despite being thrust into a very different situation in her second year at the club, in the form of a relegation battle, she has adapted to continue to catch the eye.

Wiegman may be tentative to bring her into the senior team so early, considering she doesn't turn 19 until August, but as the saying goes, if you're good enough, you're old enough. Potter has been showing that for the last couple of seasons.

While Symonds and Potter represent the readier of the young prospects Wiegman could turn to, many of her other options are experienced heads who she knows well. One of those is Katie Zelem. The 29-year-old has 12 caps for her country and was part of the squad that reached the 2023 Women's World Cup final, deputising nicely for Walsh in the group stage game against China after England's star holding midfielder picked up an injury.

Zelem hasn't been called up since December 2023 and Wiegman's most recent comments about the midfielder, who swapped Manchester for Los Angeles last summer when she moved from Man Utd to Angel City, were that she was not in her plans at the moment.

However, right now, England do not have anyone to back Walsh up in the holding midfield role, owing to Mace's injury, and Stanway's absence takes away major experience in the middle. If neither is back for this summer, it wouldn't be a surprise if Wiegman considered a recall for a player who knows the environment well and has played at a major tournament.

For very similar reasons, Jordan Nobbs may also be someone Wiegman thinks about bringing back into the picture. She, too, was part of the 2023 Women's World Cup squad and, with some 71 caps to her name, is a player who would bring plenty of experience to the table. Capable of playing as a holding midfielder, in a box-to-box role or as a No.10, she offers plenty of versatility as well.

Like Zelem, though, she has not been in consideration for well over a year. Nobbs' last call-up came in September 2023, after she had failed to make an appearance at that summer's World Cup just a few weeks prior. The Aston Villa star was in great form back then, too, and still couldn't get a look-in.

In truth, then, her chances of a return seem a little more unlikely than Zelem's. But, again, she would offer not only an option in a thin position, but also a lot of experience and versatility if players do not return to fitness in time to make the squad for Switzerland.

Falling into the same category as Zelem and Nobbs is Laura Coombs, who Wiegman brought back into the England set-up ahead of the 2023 Women's World Cup, ending her seven-year stint in the wilderness. She was not just a stop-gap for one camp, either, as the Manchester City midfielder went on to make the squad for that summer's World Cup and made her major tournament debut as a substitute in England's second game, aged 32.

That sequence of events is evidence that while a recall for Coombs here, or Zelem or Nobbs, might seem a mile off, it could well come. The same goes for the recent return of Nikita Parris, who has now made Wiegman's last two squads despite her previous call-up being in November 2022.

Coombs certainly would not have made this list a few months ago, as her playing time at City this season has been limited, owing to some injuries but also fierce competition for places. However, Nick Cushing, the manager who signed her for the club back in 2019, has returned in an interim role under the end of the season and handed the 34-year-old her first WSL start of the season last weekend. With City hit by injuries, she may well be able to rack up more minutes before the summer to put herself back on Wiegman's radar.

Alternatively, Wiegman could turn to a player already in the squad, in a different position, to bolster the midfield, and move Leah Williamson further forward again for the first time in three years. Williamson looked set to start there at Euro 2022, playing as a box-to-box midfielder for many months in the build-up to the tournament. Then, at the last minute, she was dropped back into centre-back, where she excelled as the Lionesses triumphed. She's remained in defence, for club and country, ever since.

Could Wiegman revert back to this idea in a time of need? After all, the centre-back position is extremely well-stocked, with her latest England squad featuring no fewer than seven names who play there for their clubs. That's not including Alex Greenwood, either, who the Lionesses will hope is back from her knee injury before the Euros.

Williamson is clearly more comfortable and confident in that backline but if England do find themselves without Mace, Blindkilde Brown and, crucially, Stanway this summer, Wiegman is going to have to find some different options in midfield. Her captain could well be one.