England handed boost for Euros title defence as star returns from injury

Lauren Hemp
Lauren Hemp has been out since November (Image credit: Getty)

England will be bidding to become the country's first senior team to defend a major tournament trophy this summer at the European Championships.

The Lionesses won the Euros in 2022 after beating Germany 2-1 at Wembley.

Sarina Wiegman's team have been handed a big boost in their title hopes as a key figure in the team has recovered from injury.

England: Manchester City star returns

Lauren Hemp celebrates her goal

Lauren Hemp is back for City

Manchester City's interim boss Nick Cushing has confirmed Lauren Hemp will be in the club's squad for their Women's Super League match against Leicester City this Sunday.

Hemp has been out of action since November because of a knee injury and she will play for the first time since then this weekend if she makes an appearance.

Lauren Hemp has also signed a new deal with City

Lauren Hemp won the Euros in 2022

Hemp is absolutely key to England's squad and her being available is crucial to their campaign this summer.

She was one of their standout stars at the 2023 World Cup and won the Euros in 2022.

Cushing said: "She's trained with the team, she probably just didn't do enough team training to make the game today.

"She'll definitely be in the squad for Leicester and she's really hungry to start helping the team."

Alex Greenwood

Alex Greenwood is another England star on the sidelines (Image credit: Getty Images)

Cushing also gave an update on Alex Greenwood, another key England player who has spent a long time on the sidelines with a knee injury.

He added: “Alex on the other hand as you’ve probably seen on social media is on pitch, so she’s closer."

City are fighting for a Women's Champions League spot which they will achieve if they finish in the top three.

They are currently fourth and seven points behind third-place Manchester United.

Sarah Rendell
Women's football editor

Sarah joined the FourFourTwo team in September 2024 in a freelance role. She also writes for The Guardian, BBC and Rugby World where she specialises in women's football and rugby. Sarah has a bachelors degree in English and a master's in newspaper journalism.