Wiegman doesn't like tinkering with her XI, but tempted to shake things up

There was a wry smile from Sarina Wiegman when she was asked whether she would make any changes to her starting XI for Friday's game against Denmark.

The Lionesses boss rarely tinkers at tournaments but, with her team having gone four games without a goal from open play, there seemed to be an acceptance on Thursday that she would have to break with tradition.

Georgia Stanway's penalty gave England a 1-0 victory over Haiti in their World Cup opener, yet Wiegman admitted her team lacked 'ruthlessness'.

Alessia Russo missed chances, Ella Toone struggled to make an impact and the majority of Lauren Hemp's passes went backwards. Rachel Daly, the Women's Super League top scorer, replaced Russo for the final 20 minutes but did not fare any better.

Chloe Kelly's final pass and shooting lacked quality. There is clamour for Lauren James to start Friday's match, in place of Toone or Hemp. James showed glimpses of what she can do off the bench against Haiti and could provide the spark England have lacked.

There are suggestions Russo should be the impact sub, as she was during the Euros, and that Daly should be a starter.

Alex Greenwood may be swapped from left back to centre back due to her ability to start attacks with her quality on the ball.

But there is also the argument that changing a winning team only disrupts England's momentum. Their performances improved consistently during the Euros after a slow start in the opener against Austria.

So, does Wiegman stick or twist? Asked whether she would be 'ruthless' when it comes to her team selection, she said: 'That I'm more likely to make changes doesn't have to do with that (ruthlessness).

'What we do is approach every game and then when we get ready to prepare, first of all we see who is fit and available, then we decide what we need to start with, then we decide whether we're going with the same XI or maybe make some changes. We talked about ruthlessness and we also said, 'What's ruthlessness?'

'We talked about coming into the final third, the crosses being right, coming into the box at the right time, and we worked on that. Today looked really good. We're looking forward to the game.'

There are significant differences between the England team who won the Euros and the one at this World Cup. They are without captain Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and Fran Kirby through injury, while all-time leading goalscorer Ellen White has retired.

Mead was the top scorer at the Euros; Kirby and White were vital components in England's attacking play. Williamson's composure and ability to play out from the back are much missed here.

Lucy Bronze, England's most experienced player, has been here before. This is her third World Cup and the defender knows that performances are often secondary to results.

'You could go to the World Cup and win it by winning 1-0 all the time, or drawing and winning on penalties,' said the 31-year-old. 'It's not always about scoring seven. If you have enough to win the game, that's important.

'The performances are there in games, from individuals and collectively. It's just being more ruthless, more clinical in front of goal and I don't think people would talk as much about performances and results then.'

Eventually, though, below-par displays catch up with you. Denmark, with former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder leading their attack and a raft of experienced WSL players in their ranks, pose a far greater attacking threat than Haiti.

Like England, Denmark edged their opener, securing a 1-0 win over China. Friday's game will go a long way to deciding who tops Group D, and Wiegman's selection is key. The manager is used to her teams starting slowly and building as tournaments progress.

After beating Austria 1-0 in their opening game at the Euros, England thrashed Norway 8-0 in their second match. Much like Friday's clash with Denmark, that was expected to be their hardest game in the group — it proved the opposite.

While it is unlikely a similar scoreline will occur on Friday, England can be comforted by the fact they and Wiegman have experience of this position.

In the 2017 Euros and the 2019 World Cup, Wiegman's Dutch team won their opening games 1-0. They went on to make the final of both tournaments, winning the first and losing the second.

In 2017, she made three changes to her starting XI, two of which were enforced, while in 2019 she made just two. Wiegman got little wrong with the Netherlands and has been near-perfect since taking charge of England.

There is faith that she will make the right decision. Time will tell whether that trust pays off once again.