Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

It's a big opportunity for Laura Blindkilde Brown, who has been impressive for Manchester City this season and has been rewarded with a start in midfield.

Sarina Wiegman has been in the stands to watch her at recent games - along with several other Lionesses - and she's got her chance tonight.

It looks like Jess Park will be playing out wide, as she has done for Manchester United this season, rather than in the number 10 role.

And Maya Le Tissier is the replacement for Lucy Bronze, who is not fully fit enough to play back-to-back 90-minute matches.

There's a blow for Alex Greenwood, who has picked up a minor muscle injury and will need to be assessed before Saturday's game against Iceland.

That has occured in the past 24 hours with Wiegman telling media yesterday that the whole squad were training.

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Leah Williamson joined Kelly Sommers in the latest episode of The Football Interview and conversation turned to the World Cup, given it's the only trophy Williamson is yet to get her hands on.

Kelly: "You've achieved so much. What else do you want to achieve? If you could only achieve one more thing, what would it be?"

Leah: "The last thing on the list is obviously a World Cup. In the career that I've had, it's the last trophy."

Kelly: "It's no secret that all the other Lionesses that we've spoken to said exactly the same thing."

Leah: "The World Cup?"

Kelly: "Yeah. Lucy [Bronze]... I don't think I'd finished my sentence..."

Leah: .".she said World Cup?"

Kelly: "And then she said it. Which probably wouldn't surprise you, knowing Lucy either."

Leah: "No, no. I speak to my team-mates and I'm like, 'Mariona [Caldentey], you have one... do you want to do a swap... or how does this work?'"

Kelly: "Maybe they'll let you have the next one."

Leah: "Yeah. Everybody wants it and the stage of women's football now, it's just so unpredictable. There's so many good teams - it becomes so much harder, which I think only makes you want it more."

Image source, Getty Images

England have got their captain back!

Leah Williamson missed England's friendly victories over China, Ghana and Australia as well as their defeat by Brazil at the end of 2025 due to a knee injury.

The Arsenal defender had surgery after lifting England's second successive European title in July and returned to action at the start of December.

So this will be the first time she has played in an England shirt since they beat Spain in the final in Switzerland.

Image source, Getty Images

Speaking yesterday, Sarina Wiegman said England have been given reassurances there are no safety concerns about their game being held in Turkey as the conflict in the Middle East widens.

On Saturday the US attacked Iran as part of a joint operation with Israel, sparking retaliatory strikes across the Middle East.

The Iranian regime has responded with attacks on US assets and countries in the region with a US military presence, including Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq.

Turkey borders Iran and Iraq and is close to Cyprus, where an Iranian drone crashed into a British RAF base on Sunday. Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon have also exchanged strikes.

"Yes, we did have reassurances. We are in close contact with the government and the people here that are responsible," said Wiegman.

"Of course, you're concerned about what's happening in the world. When we think, or our government thinks it's unsafe, we will go back. At this moment, we don't have signals of that."

Today's game is is taking place in Antalya because Ukraine are unable to play in their home country as a result of the war with Russia, which is in its fifth year.

The Lionesses have been in the country since last Wednesday for a training camp.

"We have great facilities here and the climate is really good so we can prepare really well. But the reason we're here is not nice," she added.

"You want Ukraine to be able to play in their home country. They had to travel a lot themselves to get here. The things they have in front of them in their country is really horrible."

Image source, Getty Images

This will be England's first competitive game since they lifted the Euro 2025 trophy in July.

The Lionesses then enjoyed a 'homecoming series' in autumn, playing four friendlies on home soil, but it's back to business today.

After losing the first of those friendlies - against Brazil - Sarina Wiegman's side won the next three without conceding a goal.

Same again this evening?

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Sarina Wiegman makes seven changes to the England team who beat Ghana in a friendly match in December.

Several big names return including captain Leah Williamson and goalkeeper Hannah Hampton but Lucy Bronze is on the bench.

There's a rare start for in-form Manchester City midfielder Laura Blindkilde Brown, while Maya Le Tissier is at right-back.

Arsenal's Taylor Hinds gets the nod at left-back but there is no Alex Greenwood - due to a minor muscle injury - or Grace Clinton in the squad.

Ukraine XI: Samson, Shaynyuk, Kotyk, Petryk, Korsun, Basanka, Andrukhiv, Kalinina, Ovdiychuk, Kozlova, Kravchuk.

Subs: Boklach, Keliushyk, Podolska, Kotiash, Hiryn, Ivkova, Zaborovets, Shmatko, Kohut, Hlushchenko, Olkhova.

England XI: Hampton, Le Tissier, Williamson, Wubben-Moy, Hinds, Stanway, Walsh, Blindkilde Brown, Park, Russo, Hemp.

Subs: Bronze, Moorhouse, Pattinson, Morgan, Fisk, Kelly, Kendall, Beever-Jones, James, Roebuck, Carter, Godfrey.

Hello and thanks for joining us as England start their journey towards Brazil 2027.

They've got their first World Cup qualifying game this evening, taking on Ukraine in Turkey before they host Iceland on Saturday.

Let's get the team news...

After falling at the final hurdle in 2023, the Lionesses' bid for World Cup glory starts again this evening.

Can they kick it off with a win against Ukraine?

Let's find out!

Image source, Getty Images