Englandsuffered their first group stage defeat in a European Championship in a decade and now risk becoming the first defending champions to be eliminated before the knockout stage. England will be out if they lose, and France is not defeated by Wales.

"Absolutely," Russo remarked on Tuesday when asked if England must play without fear. "We want everyone to feel as liberated as possible on the pitch and moving forward..

"It's a crucial aspect of our identity as a team. We have players capable of creating opportunities from nothing, and ensuring everyone is in a positive mindset is essential..

"While we have a game plan, we also have individuals who can bring a touch of magic."

Russo and manager Sarina Wiegman acknowledged that they were aware of the group's difficulty before the tournament began, with three of the four teams ranked among FIFA's top 11.

Thus, although the loss to France was disappointing, it did not completely deflate their spirits.

"No, this is tournament football, and you experience many ups and downs on the path to your goals," Russo stated. "We faced a strong France team, but we know we can improve, and we hold ourselves to high standards as a team.."

Wiegman anticipates an "intense match" on Wednesday at Stadion Letzigrund as England seeks to recover against the Dutch, a team she guided to the European title in 2017.

"We knew this group would be challenging," she remarked.

"Our focus is on our game plan and executing it, performing our roles, engaging in discussions with each other, and that is what we aim to do in the match as well..

"Our priority is playing football, fulfilling our responsibilities, staying united, building the right connections, working diligently, and doing everything possible to win the match.."

When asked if she reminds her players of the high stakes, Wiegman replied: "We don't discuss consequences. We focus on the game plan, what we need to do to perform at our best, and how we can take advantage of the spaces that the Netherlands leave open.."

England will face debutants Wales in their final group match on Sunday.