Lionesses captain Leah Williamson is expected to return to England next week after being recalled to the squad.
Williamson has not played for England for 10 months and missed the summer World Cup after sustaining a serious knee injury in April last year, but will be available for friendlies against Austria and Italy in late February. He has since returned as a member.
Both games will be played in Spain, as Sarina Wiegman has chosen to take her team there for a warm-weather training camp. The Lionesses will play Austria next Friday and Italy four days later, with both games taking place at the Estadio Nuevo Mirador in Algeciras.
Williamson is back, but England will have to cope without centre-back partner Millie Bright, who is out injured with a knee problem. Tottenham striker Bethany England is unavailable, while Manchester City midfielder Jess Park has returned to the squad for the first time since October.
Williamson captained England when they won Euro 2022 and will keep the armband, but Wiegman is expected to discuss the matter when he meets with the squad next week.Bright skippered the side in Williamson’s absence, as did goalkeeper Mary Earps.
“We have to talk to the players about that first,” Wiegmann said. “So we’re going in, but it’s also a new moment. We’ll do it again, but we’ll probably revisit it and have a group conversation first.”
Williamson returned to Arsenal last month and came off the bench in the 6-0 Conti Cup win over Reading, setting up Beth Meade’s goal. The centre-back has since started Arsenal’s last two games and captained them in Sunday’s 1-0 FA Cup defeat to Manchester City.
Williamson’s return is a huge boost for England, who suffered a heartbreak in the Nations League in November. The Lionesses missed out on advancing to this month’s final and qualifying for the Paris Olympics due to goal difference.
England’s defense struggled during the Nations League, conceding eight goals in six games and finishing second behind the Netherlands in Group A1.
Wiegmann, who last month signed a new contract until the 2027 World Cup, is currently preparing for next summer’s Euros, where the Lionesses will aim to defend their title.
The preliminary draw will be held next month, with 15 teams aiming to qualify for the tournament against host Switzerland.
Wiegmann said: “This camp is where the road to Euro 2025 begins in Switzerland. I’m really looking forward to getting back on the grass with the team.
“This is the first time we’ve been together again as a group since last year. Traveling for this camp gives us a great opportunity to reconnect on and off the pitch and give time to a lot of our players.
“Being in Spain, with good weather and good facilities, is the perfect environment to do the work we have to do as a team to get ready for a very important year ahead.”