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Football London
Football London
Sport
Megan Feringa

Lionesses squad announcement in full as Arsenal defender dropped and Millie Bright recalled

Lionesses head coach Sarina Wiegman has announced her 25-player squad for the upcoming matches against Brazil and Women's World Cup co-hosts Australia, with a raft of talent from London making the final selection before the summer's showpiece event.

Arsenal captain Leah Williamson resumes her skipper duties in the England shirt as she bids to lift her fourth trophy as England captain in UEFA's inaugural Finalissima against Brazil at Wembley Stadium.

Williamson is the only Arsenal representative to make Wiegman's squad, with Lotte Wubben-Moy one of four players to be dropped from the last international group that contested the Arnold Clark Cup, along with Manchester United's Katie Zelem, the injured Emily Ramsey and Houston Dash's Ebony Salmon.

READ MORE: Chelsea discover FA Cup semi-final opponents with third successive title on the line

Chelsea's Lauren James, Niamh Charles, Jess Carter and Millie Bright return to the England set-up. Bright is named in the squad despite being forced off through injury in the first-half of Chelsea's first-leg Champions League quarter-final against Lyon last week. Bright was subsequently absent from Chelsea's 2-0 loss to Manchester City.

Meanwhile, James will hope to continue the form that ignited a frenzy in last month's Arnold Clark Cup, which saw the winger named Player of the Tournament. West Ham defender Lucy Park sees her name recalled and will be hoping to claim her first cap in the England shirt.

Spurs striker Bethany England is conspicuously absent once again from Wiegman's squad. England swapped Chelsea for their London rivals in January in a bid for more consistent game time and a crack at breaking into Wiegman's eye line but despite a fine start to her Spurs career, has yet to pique Wiegman's interest.

The European champions are in red hot form heading into the final international break before the pinnacle of the summer, with a remarkable 27-game unbeaten run still intact after the Lionesses retained their Arnold Clark Cup title with an emphatic 6-1 rout of Belgium.

And the Lionesses are set to face their biggest challenge yet since lifting last summer's Euro 2022 trophy over Germany as they take on South American champions Brazil, who are ranked ninth in the world according to FIFA.

The heavyweight match, set to take place at Wembley Stadium, has already sold out and is viewed as the latest demonstration of the global appeal of the women's game.

April's double-header also further whets the appetite for the summer's World Cup. The Lionesses are viewed as strong favourites to life the trophy for the first time in their history.

England will face Brazil at Wembley on April 6 before taking on Australia at Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium on April 11.

ENGLAND SQUAD IN FULL: Mary Earps, Hannah Hampton, Sandy Maciver, Ellie Roebuck; Millie Bright, Lucy Bronze, Jess Carter, Niamh Charles, Alex Greenwood, Maya Le Tissier, Esme Morgan, Lucy Parker, Leah Williamson; Laura Coombs, Jordan Nobbs, Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Kiera Walsh; Rachel Daly, Lauren Hemp, Lauren James, Chloe Kelly, Jess Park, Alessia Russo, Katie Robinson.

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