Arsenal defender Leah Williamson has returned to the England squad for the first time since rupturing her Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) last April.
The Lionesses head coach Sarina Wiegman announced her 23-player squad for this month’s camp this morning with Williamson being the notable inclusion. The player could pick up the captain’s armband again as England prepare for the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 qualifiers in April.
Manchester City attacker Jess Park also returns to the squad after impressing for her club in recent weeks while Chelsea defender Millie Bright again misses out through injury. There are no places available for Manchester United pair Katie Zelem and Nikita Parris.
After announcing her latest squad, England head coach Wiegman said “This camp is where the road to EURO 2025 in Switzerland begins. Playing against strong teams like Austria and Italy is just the preparation we need before we kick off our qualifying campaign in April. I am really looking forward to getting back on the grass with the squad.
“It is the first time we will be back together as a group since last year. Travelling away for this camp will give us a great opportunity to connect again on and off the pitch and allow us to give minutes to many players. Being in Spain with hopefully good weather and excellent facilities is the perfect setting for the work we need to do as a team to get us ready for another very important year ahead.”
England face Austria on Friday 23 February 2024 before taking on Italy four days later on Tuesday 27 February 2024. Both fixtures will be played at the Estadio Nuevo Mirador in Algeciras, Spain.
England Squad
Goalkeepers: Mary Earps (Manchester United), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Khiara Keating (Manchester City)
Defenders: Lucy Bronze (FC Barcelona), Jess Carter (Chelsea), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), Esme Morgan (Manchester City), Leah Williamson (Arsenal), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal)
Midfielders: Grace Clinton (Tottenham Hotspur – On loan from Manchester United), Fran Kirby (Chelsea), Jess Park (Manchester City), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United), Keira Walsh (FC Barcelona).
Attackers: Rachel Daly (Aston Villa), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Alessia Russo (Arsenal)
Source: The Football Association press release
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