Fran Kirby makes long-awaited return as Sarina Wiegman names England squad for UEFA Women's Nations League

Fran Kirby has returned to the England squad for the first time since suffering a serious knee injury, as Sarina Wiegman named her UEFA Women’s Nations League squad for the double header against Belgium.

The Chelsea midfielder has only just returned to the pitch after eight months out and underwent knee surgery in May.

She missed the Women’s World Cup, where the Lionesses suffered defeat to Spain in the final in Australia in August.

But Kirby returns for two clashes with Belgium this month after making her first Chelsea start since February in a 2-0 win over West Ham United on Saturday.

"Of course it's very nice Fran is back on the pitch and she's fit and healthy," said Wiegman.

"I thought she played very well when she came back. She's been building up to those moments in the summer.

"She has shown enough quality in her performance that I think it's good she comes back into the team. She was really happy when I called her and she's good to go."

The squad of 25 features two uncapped players, on-loan Tottenham midfielder Grace Clinton and Manchester City goalkeeper Khiara Keating.

Barcelona’s Keira Walsh also returns after an injury and is in line to feature for the first time since the World Cup final, but there was no room for Arsenal’s Beth Mead despite her recent return from an ACL injury.

"To be honest, [Mead] was not close. She is in a good place now but has been out for nine months,” said Wiegman.

"She had her first minutes which was nice to see but she first has to build at club, get that consistency back and then we have an opportunity to select her.

"Of course it's nice to have [Walsh] back. We have other players ready too but it's nice to have her back because she is a very good player."

England face Belgium at the King Power Stadium in Leicester on Friday, October 27 before an away fixture against the same opponents four days later in Leuven on Tuesday, October 31.

Group A1 is finely balanced, with Belgium top on four points, the Netherlands and England level on three points and Scotland on one point after two games.

England’s campaign began with a 2-1 win over Scotland last month, but they then fell to a last-minute 2-1 defeat away to the Netherlands.

“We had a good start with the win against Scotland; however, the outcome of our last fixture against the Netherlands was disappointing,” Wiegman said.

“We will be fully focused to perform well twice against tough opposition. Belgium’s results in the Nations League show they are talented side who can cause teams problems, so we will need to be at our best to get the results we’re looking for.

“The group is wide open, so every game is crucial. The squad have shown their ability to respond to setbacks and I’m sure this will be no different.”

Goalkeepers: Mary Earps (Manchester United), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Khiara Keating (Manchester City), Ellie Roebuck (Manchester City)

Defenders: Millie Bright (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Barcelona), Jess Carter (Chelsea), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), Esme Morgan (Manchester City), Lucy Parker (Aston Villa), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal)

Midfielders: Grace Clinton (Tottenham Hotspur, loan from Manchester United), Fran Kirby (Chelsea), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United), Keira Walsh (Barcelona), Katie Zelem (Manchester United)

Forwards: Rachel Daly (Aston Villa), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Jess Park (Manchester City), Alessia Russo (Arsenal)

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media