07 February 2023 , 16:00
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Sarina Wiegman has recalled Laura Coombs and Jess Carter as part of her first Lionesses squad of 2023 for the Arnold Clark Cup.
Coombs returns to the England fold for the first time since November 2020, while uncapped goalkeeper Emily Ramsey is also included. Four goalkeepers are named, with Everton's Ramsey included as the only player with a senior international appearance. Beth England is arguably the most notable absentee from the 23-player squad, while Jordan Nobbs is also left out.
Brighton's Katie Robinson, who made her Lionesses debut during the last international break, again makes the squad, as does Jess Park who scored on her international bow against Japan. Nikita Parris is left out by Wiegman. In defence, Man City's Esme Morgan this time misses the cut after recent fitness issues, while captain Leah Williamson returns after injury.
England will be looking to retain the trophy won last year, when they take on Belgium, Italy and South Korea this month and bid to maintain their unbeaten run under Wiegman ahead of this summer's FIFA Women's World Cup.
The Lionesses face Korea at Stadium MK next Thursday (February 16) to kick off their campaign, before a clash with Italy at Coventry the following weekend. The hosts round off the tournament against the lowest ranked team in the competition, Belgium, in Bristol on February 22.
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Wiegman said: "The first camp of the year is always important to set the right tone for what comes next, especially with such a big opportunity in the summer. We are only looking forward now and we have to stay humble and focused on working hard.
"We know the fans will be with us again and we can’t wait to see them at every stadium. We had a positive experience with the Arnold Clark Cup last time.
"We had three tough matches with different challenges in each one, and we were able to learn a lot from our performances and work on many details which we are aiming to do again."
England squad for the 2023 Arnold Clark Cup
Goalkeepers: Mary Earps ( Manchester United ), Sandy MacIver ( Manchester City ), Ellie Roebuck (Manchester City), Emily Ramsey ( Everton )
Defenders: Millie Bright ( Chelsea ), Lucy Bronze ( Barcelona ), Jess Carter (Chelsea), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Rachel Daly (Aston Villa), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), Leah Williamson ( Arsenal ), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal)
Midfielders: Laura Coombs (Man City), Fran Kirby (Chelsea), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United), Keira Walsh (Barcelona), Katie Zelem (Manchester United)
Forwards: Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Katie Robinson ( Brighton & Hove Albion), Alessia Russo (Manchester United), Ebony Salmon (Houston Dash), Jess Park (Everton)