Lauren James' dismissal against Nigeria has handed England boss Sarina Wiegman another tactical dilemma. 

Wiegman has repeatedly had to deal with the absence of star performers this summer, both before the Women's World Cup kicked off and during the tournament.

With James suspended for Saturday's quarter-final clash with Colombia — and any potential semi-final showdown — we take a look at how the head coach may shuffle her deck.

Formation switches

Starting on the bench for her nation's World Cup opener against Haiti, James had to force her way into Wiegman's team. 

But after scoring the only goal in the 1-0 win over Denmark, the Chelsea star netted a brace in the 6-1 demolition of China to become England's top scorer Down Under. 

The Lionesses began the tournament playing in a 4-3-3, only for an injury to Keira Walsh to force Weigman to switch to a 3-4-1-2. 

James, 21, played behind the two strikers to great effect against China but struggled to make an impact against Nigeria before stamping on Michelle Alozie to earn a red card.

She will miss the game against Colombia and has had her ban extended by FIFA to cover a further game — though she would be available again if England reach the final.

Daly move

Weigman not only has to choose who will replace James but what formation to go with. 

Her switch to a back three came as a result of the injury sustained by holding midfielder Walsh against Denmark. 

While the Barcelona playmaker was trusted to play as a single pivot, England reverted to a double pivot of Georgia Stanway and Katie Zelem without her — with James just ahead of them. 

Now that Walsh is back in the team, there is the option to revert to 4-3-3 with her anchoring and allowing other midfielders to get forward. 

The one player a shift from 3-4-2-1 could most impact is Rachel Daly. 

Having been deployed as a left wing-back, she would also be an option as a traditional full-back in a 4-3-3, while moving her up into the attacking trio is an exciting possibility.

Daly, 31, was the top scorer in the Women's Super League last season and was a contender to be England's first-choice striker in Australia and New Zealand. 

With the team already struggling for goals and missing James, moving the Aston Villa star into a more advanced position might make sense. 

Toone time

In terms of who will replace James, there is one name that stands out. 

Manchester United star Ella Toone can play in midfield in a 4-3-3 or behind the forwards in a 3-4-1-2. 

Toone may not possess the natural skill of James but she has notched 16 goals in 35 England appearances — including the opener in last summer's European Championship final.

Before the tournament, the 23-year-old spoke about her progression as a footballer. 

She said: "I'm always trying to work on the technical side of my game but also focusing on developing the strengths. 

"I have worked a lot on using my body better and making better decisions in the final third."

Now could be the time for Toone to turn those words into reality.