England will hope to make an impact at the U20 World Cup in Poland this month. The Young Lionesses kick off their bid for glory against Canada before meetings with Tanzania and Brazil in a bid to write their name into the history books.
Lydia Bedford has selected an incredibly talented squad for the tournament as they look to better their third-place finish back in 2018. The likes of Niamh Charles, Grace Fisk, Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo, to name four, all caught the eye eight years ago, and have gone on to become household names in the Barclays Women’s Super League in the years since securing bronze in France.
Now, the next generation are out to shine in Poland and deliver a first U20 World Cup triumph. England’s 2026 campaign, however, gets underway just a day after the BWSL and BWSL2 season kicks off. It will wreak havoc with those who have already submitted their Fantasy teams ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Here, we pick out four young stars to avoid selecting in the opening weeks of the domestic campaign as the Young Lionesses seek to deliver international glory.
Jessie Gale – Arsenal, on loan at Nottingham Forest
Jessie Gale really shone on loan at both Portsmouth and Bristol City last season. Indeed, the 20-year-old struck eight times and provided one assist across 22 BWSL2 outings in the 2025/26 season. Her performances would have been enough to earn 78 points.
Naturally, Arsenal have high hopes for the young striker, who penned a first professional contract for the Gunners last summer before earning crucial minutes in England’s second tier. And she’s returned to the BWSL2 for the coming campaign, joining Newcastle United.
Gale is expected to play a key role for Newcastle’s rebuilt attack. The Magpies brought in the more experienced pair of Martha Thomas and Leanne Kiernan over the summer. However, Gale’s debut is put on hold until after the tournament. And valued at £7m on Fantasy, she is one to overlook for the time being.
Katie Cox – Chelsea, on loan at Nottingham Forest
Another out on loan in the BWSL2 this season, Katie Cox shone for Scottish side Aberdeen despite a poor 2025/26 campaign. The 20-year-old started all 24 league matches as the Scottish side ultimately secured their top-flight safety via the playoffs.
Even after Aberdeen’s lacklustre domestic season, Cox did enough to convince BWSL2 side Nottingham Forest to secure her services for 2026/27. She’ll compete with Emily Batty and Georgie Ferguson for a starting spot in the Midlands.
The duo, though, already have the upper hand over Cox. The on-loan star won’t link up for the Forest squad until later in September and will need to work hard to convince head coach Tom Mallinson that she warrants a spot between the sticks. Priced up at £4m on Fantasy, there are better goalkeeping options from the outset.
Rachel Maltby – Aston Villa
Natalia Arroyo is expected to continue with a 3-5-2 formation for the 2026/27 season despite a sub-par campaign. Aston Villa finished ninth last time out, just 11 points clear of table-footers Leicester City.
A rare bright spark in a dreary 2025/26, however, was the emergence of Rachel Maltby. The 19-year-old managed 16 appearances for the Villans, starting 11 of 22 league matches. In that time, she managed one assist and would have earned 33 points. A pretty handy pick up for just £4m, right?
While Maltby is expected to be Villa’s first-choice left wing-back before long, the teenager isn’t one to include from the get-go given her call-up to the England squad. Once she’s back and firing on all cylinders, then she’s definitely worth revisiting, but for now; look elsewhere.
Vera Jones – Chelsea, on loan at Watford
Vera Jones gained valuable playing experience on loan with Bristol City last season. Despite registering just 451 minutes of BWSL2 action in the west country, Jones managed two assists and her performances would have earned a commendable 31 points in Fantasy.
And her solid showings for the Robins saw the 18-year-old earn a spot in Bedford’s England squad for the U20 showpiece. Watford will hope she can build upon her commendable season in Bristol having joined the Golden Girls on a season-long loan from Chelsea earlier this month.
Of course, her call up for the U20 World Cup means Watford fans will have to wait a little longer to see Jones in the flesh. She should prove a handy differential as the season goes on, but initially she’ll be one to avoid. Still, if Watford harbour serious promotion hopes, then Jones is one they’ll turn to before long.
