Beth Mead returns to Lionesses squad for first time since suffering ACL injury

Beth Mead has returned to the England squad for the first time in over a yr forward of the Lionesses’ crunch Ladies’s Nations League double-header towards the Netherlands and Scotland.

The information comes 364 days after Mead confirmed she had ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) enjoying for Arsenal, an injury which subsequently dominated the Euro 2022 golden boot winner out of this summer time’s World Cup.

The 28-year-old not too long ago revealed she went via some “very darkish moments” as she handled not solely lacking the World Cup due to a long-term injury but in addition the lack of her mum, who died in January after a battle with most cancers.

Mead returned to motion with Arsenal final month however England supervisor Sarina Wiegman stated she was not prepared for worldwide choice. Nevertheless, the ahead has since picked up extra minutes for the Gunners and made her first begin of the season in Sunday’s 3-0 win over Brighton within the Ladies’s Tremendous League.

Mead’s final look for the Lionesses got here in a 4-0 victory over Japan final November and her return comes at a key time forward of must-win fixtures towards the Netherlands at Wembley and Scotland at Hampden Park.

The Lionesses’ hopes of incomes Workforce GB a spot at subsequent summer time’s Olympics Video games had been dealt a major blow following a shock defeat in Belgium final month, simply the fourth suffered since Wiegman took cost.

It means England path each the Netherlands and Belgium in Nations League Group A, with three factors separating the three sides, leaving the Lionesses requiring victories towards the Dutch and Scotland whereas hoping different outcomes additionally go their method.

Wiegman has named a 23-player for the clashes towards her former facet Netherlands and rivals Scotland, with no place for Manchester Metropolis goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck or Manchester Metropolis ahead Jess Park, who’s changed by Mead.

Uncapped Metropolis goalkeeper Khiara Keating, 19, and Tottenham’s on-loan midfielder Grace Clinton, 20, retain their locations from the October squad, as does Fran Kirby, who marked her year-long injury absence from the Lionesses camp within the dwelling win towards Leicester.

England squad for Netherlands and Scotland

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

Defenders: Millie Shiny (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Barcelona), Jess Carter (Chelsea), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Alex Greenwood (Manchester Metropolis), Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), Esme Morgan (Manchester Metropolis), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal)

Midfielders: Grace Clinton (Tottenham Hotspur, mortgage from Manchester United), Fran Kirby (Chelsea), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United), Keira Walsh (Barcelona), Katie Zelem (Manchester United)

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