England’s young Lionesses will get the chance to "stake a claim" for a spot in Sarina Wiegman's senior squad in the upcoming international break.
A host of WSL stars, including Liverpool's Missy Bo Kearns and West Ham's Mel Filis, are among Mo Marley's 24-player squad as England Women's Under-23s take on two European heavyweights. The first fixture will take place Walsall, where England will welcome the Netherlands on Thursday, November 10 (7.30pm KO GMT).
The team will then travel to Stadio Tre Fontane in Rome where they will face Italy on Monday, November 14 (2.30pm KO CET). Tickets for the WU23 home fixture in Walsall are still on sale and fans wanting more information should head to TheFA.com/tickets or contact the Walsall FC ticket office on 01922 651 414.
Meanwhile, Emma Coates and Gemma Davies are taking a development squad covering two age groups to Portugal next week, with the players meeting up on Sunday 6 November. Coates will lead a WU19 selection participating in the Algarve Cup.
They begin by facing Norway on Wednesday, November 9 at Stadium Vila Real de Santo Antonio (17.00 KO CET). The team will then return to the same stadium a few days later for a fixture against the Netherlands on Monday, November 14 (14.00 KO CET).
Davies’ WU18 side will also feature at the Stadium Vila Real de Santo Antonio when Portugal host them following the U19 match on Wednesday, November 9 (20.00 KO CET).
Head of Women’s Technical, Kay Cossington said “It is great at every level we are getting the opportunity to face strong opposition. We want our players to test themselves when they come away with the national team, whatever the age group.
“As was set out from the reintroduction of the Under-23 squad last year you can see a real pathway for younger players to showcase their talent and stake a claim for the senior squad. We are seeing more and more young players getting opportunities to progress and experiences like this are only going to continue that positive trend.”
England Women’s Under-23 squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Emily Ramsey ( Everton on loan from Manchester United ), Kayla Rendell ( Southampton ), Lucy Thomas (Birmingham City)
Defenders: Asmita Ale ( Tottenham Hotspur), Tara Bourne (Birmingham City on loan from Manchester United), Jorja Fox ( Brighton & Hove Albion on loan from Chelsea ), Freya Gregory (Aston Villa), Anna Patten (Aston Villa on loan from Arsenal ), Poppy Pattinson (Brighton & Hove Albion), Paige Peake (Southampton), Mia Ross (Charlton Athletic), Kiera Skeels (Charlton Athletic)
Midfielders: Laura Blindkilde Brown (Aston Villa), Missy Bo Kearns ( Liverpool ), Mel Filis ( West Ham United), Ruby Grant (University of North Carolina), Molly Pike ( Leicester City), Charlotte Wardlaw (Liverpool on loan from Chelsea)
Forwards: Angela Addison (Charlton Athletic), Aggie Beever-Jones (Everton on loan from Chelsea), Grace Clinton (Manchester United), Jess Naz (Tottenham Hotspur), Shannon O’Brien (Leicester City), Jessica Park (Everton on loan from Manchester City )
England Women’s Professional Development Phase squad
Goalkeepers: Khiara Keating (Manchester City), Lucy Jones (Birmingham City), Natalie Negri ( Crystal Palace ), Hannah Poulter (Reading)
Defenders: Katie Dungate (Chelsea), Grace Gillard (Syracuse University), Naomi Layzell (Bristol City), Lucy Parry (Hibernian on loan from Liverpool), Evie Rabjohn (Aston Villa), Katie Ramsden (Manchester City), Hannah Silcock (Liverpool), Jessica Simpson (Manchester United)
Midfielders: Sarah Brasero (Ipswich Town), Grace Ede (Sunderland – dual contract with Manchester City), Keira Flannery (West Ham United), Shauna Guyatt (Crystal Palace), Alex Hennessy (Unattached), Halle Houssein (West Ham United), Annie Hutchings (Manchester City), Lucia Kendall (Southampton), Abi Loydon (West Bromwich Albion), Lois Marley-Paraskevas (Manchester City), Olivia Mcloughlin (Aston Villa), Grace Palmer (Lewes), Megan Shaw (Aston Villa), Mackenzie Smith (Nottingham Forest – dual contract with Leicester City)
Forwards: Ava Baker (Leicester City), Keira Barry (Manchester United – dual contract with Derby County), Aimee Claypole (Chelsea), Mia Enderby (Sheffield United), Freya Godfrey (Ipswich Town – dual contract with Arsenal), Georgia Mullet Aston Villa), Emma Thompson (Lewes on loan from Chelsea), Katy Watson (Sunderland)
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