Freya Godfrey has been called up to the England women’s squad for the first time after Sarina Wigman named her in the Lionesses squad for friendlies against China and Ghana.
London City Lionesses forward Godfrey scored his first two goals of the season against Tottenham earlier this month, breaking into the first team for the first time after being a regular for the Under-23s.
Man City duo Lauren Hemp and Grace Clinton will return to the England squad after injury, while Lauren James and Jess Carter have not been selected to monitor their fitness.
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Lauren Hemp, making her first start since September, scored a stunning blow in the Manchester derby.
James has just returned from injury and will remain at Chelsea during the international break, while Carter will be given some time off after the NWSL season concludes.
Michelle Agyeman, Alex Greenwood, Hannah Hampton and Leah Williamson are all absent due to injury.
For the goalkeeper position, Sophie Baggaley has been named as a goalkeeping option to compete with Chiara Keating and Anna Moorhouse. There is only one Lionesses cap between all three goalkeepers.
Anouk Denton, Grace Fisk, Taylor Hines and Lucia Kendall will all remain with the Lionesses after being called up to October camp.
Camps important to Clinton
Grace Clinton has been plagued by injuries since the beginning of this season
Laura Hunter on Sky Sports:
Sarina Wiegman has always said that in order to be selected for the team, she needs to play at the highest level of club football. Freya Godfrey has stepped up for the London City Lionesses this season and has been rewarded. The boss kept her word.
Aston Villa midfielder Lucia Kendall is also a player to watch. Although this is not her first call-up, there is a good chance she will earn another cap. She is an explosive young talent with lots of potential and has stood out as a player of the future since her days in Southampton’s academy.
England fans will also be happy to see Lauren Hemp back, while Grace Clinton has another chance to make her case after returning from injury. Her start at Manchester City doesn’t help her momentum, but she cannot afford to be overtaken by many in the Lionesses’ pecking order.
I still think Clinton can and will be a starter for England in future tournaments. She needs enough game time to rebuild herself.
England full squad
Goalkeeper: Sophie Baggaley (Brighton), Chiara Keating (Man City), Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride)
Defenders: Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Anouk Denton (West Ham), Grace Fisk (Liverpool), Taylor Hynes (Arsenal), Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit), Lotte Uben Moy (Arsenal)
Midfielders: Laura Brinkilde-Brown (Man City), Grace Clinton (Man City), Missy Beau Kearns (Aston Villa), Lucia Kendall (Aston Villa), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Thun (Man United), Keira Walsh (Chelsea)
Forwards: Aggie Beaver-Jones (Chelsea), Freya Godfrey (London City Lionesses), Lauren Hemp (Man City), Chloe Kelly (Arsenal), Beth Meade (Arsenal), Jess Park (Manchester United), Alessia Russo (Arsenal)
