Key events
9 min: England get the game under way again as Bright sends a long ball over the France defence to Hemp, but De Almeida gets back to force her out wide.
7 min: England goalkeeper Earps limps off with tears in her eyes, assisted by physios. She has been replaced by Hannah Hampton.
6 min: Earps is down again after making a clearance. It looks like she will be forced to come off.
4 min: Earps is able to play on for now. France have a corner, the ball is sent into the box but England can clear the danger.
2 min: A disastrous start for the Lionesses as Earps goes down with an injury after a matter of seconds. The goalkeeper appeared to wince after passing the ball out from the back. It looks like it could be a hip issue.
1 min: England face some early pressure as Bright gives the ball away to Cascarino, who looks to cross it but her attempt is intercepted and sent behind for a corner.
Kick-off
Weâre under way at St Jamesâ Park!
The teams are out. The national anthems have been sung. Kick-off is just a few minutes away!
Toone in Toon
The Euro 2025 qualifier between Scotland and Israel at Hampden Park was delayed this evening after a protester chained themselves to one of the goal frames. The match has now kicked off.
In case you missed it⦠arguably the worst kept secret in womenâs football was confirmed this week. Chelsea officially announced the arrival of new manager Sonia Bompastor from Lyon. Bompastor has signed a four-year deal with the Blues. She replaces Emma Hayes, who recently left to become head coach of the United States Womenâs National Team.
Upon her arrival at Stamford Bridge, Bompastor said: âI hope to live up to Emmaâs legacy and continue the work that has been done in recent years. Let the adventure begin.â
Millie Bright returns to the England starting line-up tonight for the first time since October. The defender missed five months of the season through injury but has now returned to full fitness. Discussing todayâs match, Bright said: âFrance are an incredible team, pose a lot of threats. Equally there are things we can do to put the threats on them.
âWe have to be extremely prepared. We know itâs going to be two tough games. As always we donât go out for anything other than wins and a good performance. It will be a massive message.â
Lucy Bronze became the first English player to win five Champions League titles last weekend. FIVE!
Is she the greatest Lioness of all-time? Let me know what you think!
Lionesses captain Leah Williamson admits she is âlooking forwardâ to the challenge of playing for her spot in Sarina Wiegmanâs competitive starting line-up. She said: âItâs the first time that, obviously, me and Millie have been back in the squad together for a long time, so itâs been nice in that regard.
âI think weâve got a really strong unit – I mentioned coming back into the squad about how well theyâve performed and how theyâve raised the level, so itâs good to be back. Itâs a competitive unit to try to get into. Iâll look forward to the challenge, I think, as everybody does.
Tonight will be Sarina Wiegmanâs 50th game in charge of England. It is also Arjan Veurinkâs 50th game with the Lionesses and Mary Earpsâ 50th senior international cap. Hopefully a night to remember for all three!
Niamh Charles was replaced by Maya Le Tissier in Sarina Wiegmanâs core squad this week. The defender remains with Chelsea to manage a calf injury. Goalkeeper Kayla Rendell, who was on the standby list, has also withdrawn due to an ankle injury. She has been replaced by Birminghamâs Lucy Thomas. Lauren James became the latest player to leave the camp on Thursday. The forward is currently managing a foot injury and has been replaced by Jessica Naz.
Team News
England starting XI: Mary Earps; Lucy Bronze, Millie Bright, Leah Williamson, Jess Carter; Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone; Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo, Beth Mead. Substitutes: Alex Greenwood, Hannah Hampton, Fran Kirby, Jessica Naz, Chloe Kelly, Aggie Beever-Jones, Grace Clinton, Maya Le Tissier, Jess Park, Khiara Keating, Esme Morgan, Millie Turner.
France starting XI: Pauline Peyraud-Magnin; Ãlisa De Almeida, Maëlle Lakrar, Wendie Renard, Selma Bacha; Sandie Toletti, Sakina Karchaoui, Kenza Dali; Kadidiatou Diani, Marie-Antoinette Katoto, Delphine Cascarino. Substitutes: Solène Durand, Constance Picaud, Ãve Périsset, Estelle Cascarino, Thiniba Samoura, Grace Geyoro, Amandine Henry, Léa Le Garrec, Sandy Baltimore, Inès Benyahia, Julie Dufour, Louna Ribadeira.
Preamble
Hello, good evening and welcome to coverage of Englandâs Euro 2025 qualifier against France. Two European giants go head-to-head tonight with the hope of taking a huge step towards next summerâs tournament. France currently lead Group A3 with a maximum six points. The Lionesses sit second with four points having defeated the Republic of Ireland and drawn with Sweden. These two sides meet twice in the next five days, so weâre in for a thrilling week.
For now, all eyes are on tonightâs match at St Jamesâ Park. Kick-off is at 8pm BST – Iâll be with you all evening!