England Lioness squad: Leah WIlliamson makes return as Manchester United star misses out

Sarina Wiegman has announced the squad for two friendly fixtures and all Lioness fans will be jumping for joy at seeing the return of Leah Williamson.

The England skipper has been out of action since last April after sustaining an ACL injury and now, after returning to action for Arsenal in late January, she has earned a spot back in the line-up. This will be the first time Williamson has featured for England since lifting the Women's Finalissima trophy in April 2023 and she is set to be joined in the squad by Jess Park who was last in England kit in October.

Chelsea's Millie Bright, however, misses out on squad selection after sustaining an injury and she is joined in the treatment room by Tottenham Hotspur's Bethany England. Manchester United forward, Nikita Parris, has also missed out despite scoring seven goals in six fixtures.

The last time the Lionesses were on the pitch, they were knocked out of the Nations League tournament, despite securing a 6-0 win over Scotland at Hampden Park. The Netherlands's final minute winner over Belgium also meant England failed to secure Team GB a spot at the Paris Olympics. And now, rather than taking part in the next round of the competition, England will look to start their preparations for the Euros 2025 tournament...

When are England's fixtures?

England's first fixture will take place on Friday 23 February as they face Austria at the Nuevo Mirador Stadium with kick-off set for 7.45pm UK time. They will then face Italy a few days later on Tuesday 27 February at the Nuevo Mirador Stadium with kick-off at 5pm UK time.

What has Sarina Wiegman said?

Speaking at the press conference, 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."

On Williamson's return, Wiegman said: "It's really nice, especially for her. She's back. She's gaining minutes at Arsenal and doing well. It'll be really good to see her in camp. She's a very good player with great decision-making. She's been out for a number of months, so is still building. I've seen other players step up [in Williamson's absence].

As for the omission of Manchester United's Nikita Parris, Wiegman added: "The competition up front is really high. I've made some other decisions for this camp, but I hope she can keep some consistency because we're thinking about her again.

"I had a brief conversation with her yesterday, she understands. We're in a luxury position with our options in forward positions. She knows we're watching her very closely."

England squad:

• Goalkeepers: Mary Earps, Hannah Hampton, Khiara Keating
• Defenders: Lucy Bronze, Jess Carter, Niamh Charles, Alex Greenwood, Maya Le Tissier, Esme Morgan, Leah Williamson, Lotte Wubben-Moy
• Midfielders: Grace Clinton, Fran Kirby, Jess Park, Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Kiera Walsh
• Forwards: Rachel Daly, Lauren Hemp, Lauren James, Chloe Kelly, Beth Mead, Alessia Russo