City players on international duty

Man City Women has a busy international period coming up with plenty of their players heading off to represent their countries at tournaments in preparation for the FIFA WWC this summer.

Phil Neville named his latest Lionesses squad for their trip to the USA where they will take part in the She Believes Cup alongside the host nation, Brazil and Japan. This is will be one of the biggest tests the England team have faced as they will come up against the current and former World Champions in three games at the end of February through to the start of March.

Karen Bardsley, Steph Houghton, Demi Stokes, Abbie McManus, Jill Scott, Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway and Nikita Parris keep their places in the squad from the training camp in Qatar, while defender Gemma Bonner has received her first call up in just over two years; her first under Neville.

Goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck and forward Mel Lawley drop out however Lauren Hemp will travel alongside U20 keeper Sandy MacIver, to America and will train with the Lionesses.

The fixtures are as follows:

Wednesday 27^th February – Brazil (KO GMT 9pm)

Saturday 2^nd March – USA (KO GMT 9:30pm)

Tuesday 5^th March – Japan (KO GMT 10:15pm)

All games are to be shown on the BBC with Brazil and the USA shown on BBC Two and Japan shown on BBC Four.

Esme Morgan and Jess Park will also be on international duty with the Young Lionesses, the two City players called up to the U19 squad by Rehanne Skinner to take part in the upcoming La Manga tournament. The team will face hosts Spain on Thursday 28^th February, China on Saturday 2^nd March and Switzerland on Monday 4^th March in preparation for the U10 European Championships taking place at St. George’s Park in April.

Scotland have also named their squad for the upcoming Algarve Cup, which takes place from late February until early March with Blues Jen Beattie, Caroline Weir and Claire Emslie being called up to go to Portugal. They have been drawn alongside Iceland, who they play on Friday 1^st March and Canada on Monday 4^th March, in which they’ll face teammate Janine Beckie as the forward has been called up to the Canadian squad for tournament.

Meanwhile the WEURO 2021 qualifying draw saw Scotland drawn in Group E alongside Finland, Portugal, Albania and Cyprus with other home nations Wales and Northern Ireland together in Group C and the Republic of Ireland in Group I.

Lionesses SBC squad:

Karen Bardsley (Man City Women), Mary Earps (VfL Wolfsburg), Carly Telford (Chelsea FC Women), Gemma Bonner (Man City Women), Lucy Bronze (OL), Rachel Daly (Houston Dash), Alex Greenwood (Man United Women), Steph Houghton (Man City Women), Abbie McManus (Man City Women), Demi Stokes (Man City Women), Leah Williamson (Arsenal Women), Karen Carney (Chelsea FC Women), Izzy Christiansen (OL), Fran Kirby (Chelsea FC Women), Jill Scott (Man City Women), Lucy Staniforth (Birmingham City Women), Georgia Stanway (Man City Women), Keira Walsh (Man City Women), Toni Duggan (FC Barcelona), Beth Mead (Arsenal Women), Nikita Parris (Man City Women), Jodie Taylor (Seattle Reign) and Ellen White (Birmingham City Women)

U19 Lionesses squad:

Emily Ramsey (Manchester United), Hannah Hampton (Birmingham City), Poppy Pattinson (Bristol City), Olivia Smith (University of Oklahoma), Esme Morgan (Manchester City), Georgia Eaton-Collins (University of Florida), Niamh Cashin (Rider University), Naomi Hartley (Manchester United), Grace Neville (Millwall Lionesses), Jess Park (Manchester City), Lauren James (Manchester United), Aimee Palmer (Manchester United), Amy Rodgers (Liverpool), Emily Syme (Yeovil Town), Sophia Pharoah (Brighton and Hove Albion), Amelia Hazard (Arsenal), Lucy Fitzgerald (Millwall Lionesses), Ella Rutherford (Bristol City), Rebecca Jarrett (University of Virginia) and Ebony Salmon (Sheffield United, on loan from Manchester United)

Scotland Algarve Cup squad:

Lee Alexander (Jenna Fife (Hibernian), Shannon Lynn (Vittsjö GIK), Chloe Arthur (Birmingham City Women), Jen Beattie (Man City Women), Frankie Brown (Bristol City Women), Rachel Corsie (Utah Royals), Nicola Docherty (Glasgow City), Emma Mitchell (Arsenal Women), Joelle Murray (Hibernian), Kirsty Smith (Man United Women), Lizzie Arnot (Man United Women), Leanne Crichton (Glasgow City), Hayley Lauder (Glasgow City), Kim Little (Arsenal Women), Jo Love (Glasgow City), Christie Murray (Liverpool FC Women), Caroline Weir (Man City Women), Fiona Brown (FC Rosengård), Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea FC Women), Claire Emslie (Man City Women), Abigail Harrison (Bristol City Women) and Jane Ross (West Ham United Women)