England's World Cup star was sent off after she shockingly stomped on a Nigerian player's back

• England's Lauren James stomped on Nigerian opponent Michelle Alozie during their World Cup match.
• The Lionesses' forward earned a yellow card — then upgraded to a red — for the egregious foul.
• James, who leads England in goals and assists, could be suspended for the rest of the tournament.

England's Lionesses narrowly avoided an early World Cup departure Monday when they defeated Nigeria in penalty kicks.

But the reigning European champions will have to continue on without the star of their World Cup run.

Lauren James — a 21-year-old forward for England and Barclay's Women's Super League powerhouse Chelsea — earned a red card in the 87th minute of the 0-0 draw after stomping on the back of Nigerian defender Michelle Alozie. The egregious foul merely earned a yellow card at first, but after a review from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), the penalty was upgraded and James was ejected from the contest.

England managed to survive with just 10 players for the remainder of the game, then narrowly advanced with a 4-2 victory in penalty kicks. But the Lionesses will be without their young star in the quarter-finals — and perhaps beyond — due to her imprudent and unsportsmanlike behavior against the Super Falcons.

Coach Sarina Wiegman said after the match that she suspected James "in a split second lost her emotions."

"Of course she doesn't want to hurt anyone," she added. "She's the sweetest person I know."

But her actions may very well have hurt Wiegman's side, which is one of the favorites to win the whole tournament; James has either scored or assisted six of England's eight goals through its first four matches Down Under.

Now, as they prepare to take on the winner of Tuesday's matchup between Colombia and Jamaica, the Lionesses must find a way to replace James' unparalleled output. And even if they advance past Saturday's test, Wiegman and company are not guaranteed to have James back for a potential bout against Australia, France, or Morocco in the semi-finals.