The Lionesses take on China – Female Friendly International
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the friendly game between the English side and China at London’s Wembley. An exciting encounter is anticipated with the current Euro titleholders competing against the holders of the Asian Cup title.
England’s national stadium is packed for the event, which will see Fran Kirby celebrated pre-match after her departure from the England squad before the Euros this past summer.
Lineup details will be announced shortly, but there was a last minute squad update for England. On Friday, the goalkeeper Khiara Keating withdrew from the squad with a slight knock, and so former number one Ellie Roebuck has been called up.
With Hannah Hampton out of action, it will be intriguing to observe who the Lionesses' coach Sarina Wiegman selects in goal. That news and all the other updates are coming up before the start of the match at 17:30 GMT.
Lineup Announcements
The lineups have been announced. Anna Moorhouse will be the goalkeeper for England in the unavailability of Hannah Hampton and Khiara Keating.
England: Moorhouse, Bronze, Charles, Walsh, Le Tissier, Morgan, Mead, Stanway, Russo, Toone, Hemp.
Substitutes: Hings, Baggaley, Kendall, Wubben-Moy, Beever-Jones, Kelly, Kearns, Park, Blindkilde Brown, Roebuck, Clinton, Denton, Fisk, Godfrey.
Details are being sought for the squad from China now; when it comes through, I will share it.
Captaincy Update
Keira Walsh is serving as captain for the Lionesses with Leah Williamson still injured. Here’s what she had to say before this match:
Walsh assumes captaincy as England confront new hurdle in meeting of continental winners.
Debut Alert
The upcoming fixture will be Anna Moorhouse's first appearance for England. She was a part of the Euro-winning side who triumphed this past summer, but she did not feature with Hannah Hampton in the starting goalkeeper role.
Previous Match Recap
The first leg of the Women’s Nations League title decider occurred yesterday; get the details on all of the action:
Women’s Nations League: Cata Coll of Spain thwarts Germany, ensuring final remains undecided.
Real-Time Coverage
Live updates from the fixture will continue with important moments and current information as the match proceeds.
