The England Women’s National Team squad has been announced for the first pair of World Cup Qualifiers.
London City Lionesses defender Poppy Pattinson earns her first call-up to the seniors, while Hannah Hampton, Jess Carter, Alex Greenwood, Leah Williamson and Lauren James are back in the fold after being absent from the last squad in November. Niamh Charles, Missy Bo Kearns, Ella Toone and Beth Mead were all unavailable for selection due to injury.
These fixtures mark the team’s first outings of a pivotal year and the beginning of the campaign to secure a place at next year’s World Cup in Brazil.
England travel to Antalya to take on Ukraine at the Mardan Sports Complex on Tuesday 3 March [K/O 5pm GMT]. It is more than ten years since the two sides last met when goals from Eni Aluko and Casey Stoney sealed a 2-1 victory in a World Cup qualifier in Lviv in June 2014.
The Lionesses then head to the City Ground home of Nottingham Forest for the first time in 32 years as they play host to Iceland on Saturday 7 March [K/O 12.30pm GMT]. Only a small number of tickets remain for the fixture, available here. The previous encounter between the two teams came in 2009 in Colchester, where Iceland claimed a 2-0 win.
Sarina Wiegman told englandfootball.com: “It’s a new year with new objectives, as we start our qualification journey with these two very important fixtures against Ukraine and Iceland. We want to start our campaign off in the best possible way and will need to be at a top level as we face two different challenges. This is new opposition for this England team, so that’s exciting too. I am looking forward to being back with the squad and getting back to work.”
“As always we’re grateful to the fans for their support. A big crowd in Nottingham in a historic stadium will be really special, but we can’t look too far ahead and our full focus first will be on our opening fixture.”
The second international window of the year follows in quick succession and the meeting with Spain taking place on Tuesday 14 April at Wembley Stadium, connected by EE. Tickets for this fixture remain on sale. It is followed by the return meeting with Iceland in Reykjavik on Saturday 18 April – a contest which will also be in celebration of the historic milestone of the Lionesses’ 500th game.
The Squad
Goalkeepers: Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride), Ellie Roebuck (Aston Villa)
Defenders: Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), Jess Carter (Gotham City), Grace Fisk (Liverpool), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Taylor Hinds (Arsenal), Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit), Poppy Pattinson (London City Lionesses), Leah Williamson (Arsenal), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal)
Midfielders: Laura Blindkilde Brown (Manchester City), Grace Clinton (Manchester City), Lucia Kendall (Aston Villa), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Keira Walsh (Chelsea)
Forwards: Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea), Freya Godfrey (London City Lionesses), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Arsenal), Jess Park (Manchester United), Alessia Russo (Arsenal)
