Williamson back in England squad for qualifiers

Leah Williamson has returned to the Lionesses’ squad ahead of their European Championship qualifiers against Sweden and the Republic of Ireland.

Williamson captained England to the European Championship triumph in 2022 and returned to the squad in February for the first time since she injured her ACL in April last year. But she was then forced to miss out on their friendlies against Italy and Austria after picking up a hamstring injury.

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The only other change to the squad sees Millie Turner take Maya Le Tissier’s spot. Turner made her England debut in their 5-1 win over Italy in February after replacing Williamson in the squad.

England face Sweden at Wembley on April 5 and then travel to Dublin to face the Republic of Ireland on April 9. France complete Group A3.

“There’s no time to waste. February’s window showed who we are and where we want to go and we’ll look to continue that momentum from the minute we arrive at St. George’s Park next week,” Sarina Wiegman said. “We know it’s a challenging group, but it’s really exciting.

“These are all big games that will test us and that’s the kind of fixtures we want to play in. Every opponent we face is a top nation and we know we have to perform at our best to achieve our goals. We’ll be ready for Sweden at Wembley.”

Full squad

Goalkeepers: Mary Earps, Hannah Hampton, Khiara Keating.

Defenders: Lucy Bronze, Jess Carter, Niamh Charles, Alex Greenwood, Esme Morgan, Millie Turner, Leah Williamson, Lotte Wubben-Moy

Midfielders: Grace Clinton, Fran Kirby, Jess Park, Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Keira Walsh

Forwards: Rachel Daly, Lauren Hemp, Lauren James, Chloe Kelly, Beth Mead, Alessia Russo