How Wiegman replaces James will define the type of team England are | Jonathan Liew

Manager faces a tactical and personnel conundrum going into quarter-final with Colombia – but she is nothing if not prepared

Michelle Alozie’s butt is fine. We can probably stop talking about Michelle Alozie’s butt now. As the Nigeria defender put it herself, the time has probably come to draw a line under the warm potage of takes and judgments that followed her fleeting brush with notoriety during Monday’s game against England. You might think that a woman with a degree in molecular biology, a job as a researcher into childhood leukaemia and four appearances at the World Cup would be remembered for something other than being Lauren James’s temporary carpet. But that is not yet the world we live in.

Nevertheless, amid all this froth and hoopla there are more pressing matters to discuss. James has been given a two-game ban, which as well as a source of personal anguish constitutes a decision of pivotal importance for Sarina Wiegman. How on earth do you replace the player who in many ways has been the key to your entire tournament?

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