ENGLAND are through to the World Cup quarter-finals after their win over Nigeria, but the victory came with a price.
The Lionesses defeated the African side 4-2 on penalties after a tense 120 minutes of action finished goalless.
But England’s player of the tournament so far Lauren James was sent off deep into the second half of normal time.
James got into a scuffle on the floor with Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie, electing to stamp on her while she got up off the deck herself.
The referee immediately went to look at the VAR screen before brandishing her red card in James’ direction.
The Chelsea star will now be suspended, but for how long?
Women’s World Cup
How many games will Lauren James miss at the World Cup?
As it stands, James will miss just the quarter-finals, which will be against Colombia or Jamaica.
James would be a huge miss for the game, having scored three times this tournament for England so far.
She’s also registered three assists, proving herself to be a creator as well.
But things could get worse for James and England, as she may miss more than just one game.
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As James was sent off for violent conduct, FIFA could impose a further ban on her.
Her ban could extend to two or even three games, like the suspension given to Nigeria’s Deborah Abiodun, who was sent off in their opening game with Canada.
Abiodun went on to miss the next two group games and the loss to England in the quarter-finals.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
