England squad LIVE: Sarina Wiegman reveals Leah Williamson decision ahead of Lionesses friendlies

Leah Williamson is back in the England squad for the first time since April last year as Sarina Wiegman said she plans to “experiment” with her team in upcoming friendlies against Austria and Italy later this month.

Arsenal defender Williamson led the Lionesses to Euro 2022 glory as captain but missed last summer’s World Cup after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament nine months ago.

Williamson replaces the injured Millie Bright in one of only two changes from December’s 23-player squad, with Manchester City midfielder Jess Park also coming in for Manchester United’s Katie Zelem.

The Lionesses missed out on the Nations League finals in December so will instead begin their preparations for the start of Euro 2025 qualifying with a trip to the south of Spain and a pair of friendlies against Austria and Italy.

Williamson is expected to return as captain but Wiegman said she will only make a decision after discussing it with her squad - goalkeeper Mary Earps captained the side when both Williamson and Bright were unavailable at the end of last year.

When are England’s fixtures this month?

Friday 23 February: England v Austria, 7.45pm, live on ITV1

Tuesday 27 February: England v Italy, 5pm, live on ITV 4

Sarina Wiegman on Leah Williamson’s return:

Sarina Wiegman on whether Leah Williamson will return as captain:

“I have to talk to the players first about that. This is a also new moment, we’ll start again, talk about it and have the conversation first with the group.”

Sarina Wiegman on whether Millie Bright will be back in April:

“Millie is in rehab. It goes by plan so she’s in a good place but needs more time. Hopefully she is back for April, but let’s see how it goes.”

On Nikita Parris, who scored 15 goals in 16 games for Manchester United, but misses out:

“I had a conversation with her in autumn. I had a conversation with her yesterday. We have many players up front that it’s so competitive and I had to make hard choices. She knows we have to make hard choices.”

Sarina Wiegman on Leah Williamson’s return: “It’s really nice, especially for her. She’s back, she’s gaining minutes at Arsenal. They are happy with where she is and it will be nice to see her back next week in camp. She’s a very good player. Even though she’s been out for months, her decision making is really good. The team stepped up [without her] but it’s good to have her back.

“We’ll play two friendlies in warm weather, good conditions. What we can do is experiment. We can try new things and I’m excited to start building to Euro 2025.

“It was devastating in December. We played two incredible games and we played really well, but you can’t control what the opposition do. It was really exciting, but we were disappointed. Now, we have the opportunity to play friendlies. We have to stay on the front foot and keep developing.”

We’ll hear from Wiegman shortly but this is a welcome sight for fans of the Lionesses!

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

So, just two changes from December’s squad

- Leah Williamson returns to an England squad for the first time in 10 months, replacing the injured Millie Bright

- Jess Park is also back, while Manchester United’s Katie Zelem misses out

England squad for February friendlies against Austria and Italy

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)