SARINA WIEGMAN will make changes for England’s final World Cup qualifier tonight after admitting last week’s defeat by Spain felt like a “hit on the chin.”

The Lionesses’ hopes of securing an automatic spot at next year’s tournament in Brazil are out of their hands following their 4-0 thrashing in Majorca on Friday.

The European champions host Ukraine at Everton’s Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium tomorrow, needing to better Spain’s result in Iceland to take top spot in Group A3.

Any other outcome would leave them needing to come through the play-offs to qualify.

Wiegman said: “We said straight after the game on the pitch, ‘OK, this one’s really hard to take.’ It felt like a hit on the chin.

“Then it’s so important to stick together. It’s really easy when things go well that everyone sticks together but, when you have a setback like this, that’s when we show ourselves.

“I think that was what the team did. We have trained again, there was good energy in the team.”

With world champions Spain strong favourites to beat Iceland, England look likely to be facing the longer route to the finals.

That could have prompted Wiegman to rotate her squad for their last outing of the season but she insisted any changes would be tactical.

“It is a qualifier still, we want to win the game, but there are some tactical decisions to make because we expect different challenges,” said Wiegman ahead of today’s training session at Liverpool’s Melwood complex.

“Yes, I will make some changes. There are some players knocking on the door and I want to see them.”

Ukraine have lost all five of their matches in the group and Wiegman wants England to impose themselves early.

She said: “What we can control is our game and it would be really nice for us to get an early goal. That’s what we’re going after.

“We want to play well, we want to execute, we want to be on the ball a lot.

“We want to create chances, score goals and not concede any. That’s what we’re going after.

“It helps a lot if we score early in the game and then we wait for what happens in Reykjavik.”

Wiegman, who has no fresh injury concerns, will monitor events in Iceland but will not alter her focus.

She said: “We have someone there. We want to be updated live with what’s going on but we’re not planning on sharing that with players.

“We have to win this game and that’s what we’re going after.”

Winger Lauren Hemp says the team are determined to bounce back from the defeat by Spain.

She said: “That night it was very hard for me to get some sleep, and for the rest of the girls, but it’s important to look forward to the next.

“We’ve all got that experience that we can turn it around. The best thing is to continue to be positive and upbeat because the last thing we want is everyone to be flat.

“We’ve all stuck around each other and lifted each other up.”