England take on China – Female Friendly Fixture
Introduction
Greetings and welcome to the exhibition game between the English side and China at Wembley Stadium. The match is set to be a thriller with the reigning European champions facing the reigning Asia Cup winners.
The iconic Wembley is fully booked for the occasion, which will see Fran Kirby recognized pre-match after her departure from the England squad before the European Championship this past summer.
The team news will be announced shortly, but there was a last minute squad update for England. On Friday, 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 head coach Sarina Wiegman selects in goal. Those details along with further updates are on the way before the start of the match at 5.30pm GMT.
Team News
Squad details are now available. Anna Moorhouse starts in goal for England in the non-presence of Hannah Hampton and Khiara Keating.
England: Moorhouse, Bronze, Charles, Walsh, Le Tissier, Morgan, Mead, Stanway, Russo, Toone, Hemp.
Reserves: 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; as soon as I have it, I will provide the update.
Leadership Role
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
Tonight’s game will be Anna Moorhouse's maiden cap for England. She featured in the Euro-winning side who won this past summer, but she did not feature with Hannah Hampton in the number one shirt.
Earlier Fixture Update
The opening match of the final of the Women’s Nations League was held yesterday; get the details on all of the highlights:
Women’s Nations League: Cata Coll of Spain thwarts Germany, ensuring final remains undecided.
Real-Time Coverage
Live updates from the fixture will proceed with key events and latest developments as the game progresses.
