Leah Williamson Returns To England Squad For First Time Since ACL Injury

England captain Leah Williamson will return to the squad for the first time since April 2023 after manager Sarina Wiegman included her in the group for fixtures against Austria and Italy later this month.

Williamson suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in April last year, which sidelined her for nine months. The defender returned to action for her club Arsenal last month, though she is yet to play the full 90 minutes.

The 26-year-old will feature for England for the first time since April 2023 when she led the team to the Women’s Finalissima trophy in April 2023.

She also led the Lionesses to the Euro 2022 title but missed last year’s World Cup, where England lost to Spain in the final.

“It’s really nice, especially for her. She’s back, she’s gaining minutes at Arsenal and doing well” Wiegman said about Williamson.

“Even though she has been out for months, her decision-making is really good.”

The Lionesses are due to face Australia on February 23 and Italy on February 27, with both fixtures to be played at the Estadio Nuevo Mirador in Algeciras, Spain.

The team will play these games in the build-up to their Women’s Euros title defence.

The Women’s Euros 2025 qualifying draw on 5 March will determine the match schedule for the Lionesses during the qualification phase which runs between April and July.

This will ultimately decide the 15 teams, alongside the hosts, who will travel to Switzerland to take part in the tournament.

“This camp is where the road to Euro 2025 in Switzerland begins,” Wiegman said. “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.”

Along with Williamson, Jess Park, who last featured for the Lionesses in October, is also back while Millie Bright is unavailable for selection due to injury.

The Squad

Goalkeepers: Mary Earps (Manchester United), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Khiara Keating (Manchester City)

Defenders: Lucy Bronze (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, loan from Manchester United), Fran Kirby (Chelsea), Jess Park (Manchester City), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United), Keira Walsh (Barcelona)

Forwards: Rachel Daly (Aston Villa), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Alessia Russo (Arsenal)