Phil Neville has unveiled the Lionesses squad that will take on Germany in a friendly later in the month.
Neville has selected a 28 strong squad for the trip to Wiesbaden, naming a mixture of experience, youth and new faces.
Four goalkeepers are amongst the cohort, with Manchester City’s Ellie Roebuck, Everton’s Sandy MacIver and Birmingham City’s Hannah Hampton, being called up alongside the cool experience of Chelsea’s Carly Telford.
A mammoth ten defenders have been named to bolster defensive lines. Manchester City’s Lucy Bronze, Alex Greenwood and Demi Stokes, Chelsea’s Millie Bright, Manchester United’s Abbie McManus and Arsenal’s Leah Williamson will find themselves under the watchful eye of captain Steph Houghton. Houston Dash captain, Rachel Daly, although typically a forward player for her club, may also find herself reinforcing the back line.
In the middle, Everton’s Izzy Christiansen could make her first appearance since March 2019 and Manchester City’s Jill Scott could potentially hit a milestone 150 caps. City’s Keira Walsh will likely hold down the midfield, whilst Georgia Stanway and Chelsea’s newly fit Fran Kirby, may sit slightly further upfield to jump start Neville’s hordes of attacking options.
Neville’s forward selection includes player of the season Beth England, Arsenal’s wing master Beth Mead and City’s ever-trusted Ellen White. Youngster’s Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo may potentially make an appearance in the starting eleven; both have proven their attacking prowess with their domestic clubs since the beginning of the season.
Lyon’s Nikita Parris finds herself back on the team sheet after quarantine restrictions kept her from September’s training camp.
Potential debutants include defenders Millie Turner, Esme Morgan, Grace Fisk as well as the more attackingly minded Ella Toone and Niamh Charles, all of whom impressed during last month’s camp.
Notable absences include Atlético Madrid’s Toni Duggan and Jade Moore, Lyon’s Jodie Taylor and Arsenal’s Jordan Nobbs, who picked up a slight injury in an earlier league game. Manchester United’s Lucy Staniforth and Katie Zelem are also absent, the latter of whom is still on the road to full fitness after testing positive for Coronavirus in September.
The Lionesses will have a point to prove after a lacklustre performance at the SheBelieves Cup in March, in which they finished in a disappointing third place.
Of the upcoming match, Neville commented, “Germany are currently ranked second in the world so there’s no doubt it will be a tough test for us. But a vital one as we measure our progress against one of the best teams in the world. It will give us a clear idea of where we’re at in terms of our squad depth and development as we prepare for the home UEFA Euro in 2022.”
The Lionesses will face Germany on Tuesday 27th October at 3pm.
Full Squad:
GK: Hannah Hampton, Sandy MacIver, Ellie Roebuck, Carly Telford
DF: Millie Bright, Lucy Bronze, Grace Fisk, Alex Greenwood, Steph Houghton, Abbie McManus, Esme Morgan, Demi Stokes, Millie Turner, Leah Williamson
MF: Niamh Charles, Izzy Christiansen, Fran Kirby, Jill Scott, Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Keira Walsh
FW: Rachel Daly, Beth England, Chloe Kelly, Beth Mead, Alessia Russo, Nikita Parris, Ellen White
