Millie Bright, the captain of Chelsea, is back in action, while Aggie Beever-Jones has been selected to join the England squad for the Euro 2025 Qualifying matches.

Millie Bright, the Chelsea captain, has expressed her gratitude to the fans following the Barclays Women’s Super League match between Chelsea FC and Bristol City at Kingsmeadow on May 5, 2024 in Kingston upon Thames, England.

In other news, England manager Sarina Wiegman has announced her squad for the upcoming European Championships qualifying stage, with Millie Bright making a return after a long absence. The 30-year-old defender suffered a serious knee injury and has not been part of the England squad since October. However, her recent comeback for Chelsea has earned her a place in the national team as England prepares for four crucial qualifying matches in the next six weeks.

The Lionesses will face France in a double-header, with the first match taking place at St James’ Park on May 31, followed by a return fixture at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on June 4. On July 12, England will take on the Republic of Ireland at Carrow Road before traveling to the Gamla Ullevi to face Sweden on July 16.

Wiegman has made an interesting decision by naming a squad of 24 players for both windows, with four players on standby. The first window will consist of this group, and Wiegman will then select another 24 players from the total of 28 for the second window.

Explaining her decision, Wiegman said, “This is another important summer for us to achieve our goal of qualifying for the EURO. After an intense season, we wanted to give the players clarity and help them prepare for the FIFA windows in the best possible way, with performance and welfare as a priority. We have had good conversations with the clubs, and we are grateful for their cooperation and support in ensuring the players are fresh, fit, and ready for two international matches at the highest level.”

Wiegman added, “Naming a player group of 28 provides us with different options across the four fixtures and is an opportunity for some new faces to impress and build new connections. We’re really excited to get going again. The group is finely balanced, and we know that every game is going to be tight and we’ll need to be at our best. France is an opposition we haven’t yet faced together, so I’m looking forward to the challenge of playing one of the best teams in the world.”

In other squad news, Millie Bright’s Chelsea teammate, Aggie Beever-Jones, has been rewarded for her impressive performances with a call-up. Manchester United’s Maya Le Tissier, Liverpool’s Missy Bo Kearns, Tottenham Hotspur’s Jessica Naz, and Southampton’s Kayla Rendell have been named as standby players.

The full England squad includes goalkeepers Mary Earps (Manchester United), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Khiara Keating (Manchester City), and Kayla Rendell (Southampton)*. The defenders are 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), Millie Turner (Manchester United), Leah Williamson (Arsenal), and Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal).

The midfielders selected are Grace Clinton (Tottenham Hotspur, on loan from Manchester United), Missy-Bo Kearns (Liverpool)*, Fran Kirby (Chelsea), Jess Park (Manchester City), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United), and Keira Walsh (Barcelona). The forwards in the squad are Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Jessica Naz (Tottenham Hotspur)*, and Alessia Russo (Arsenal).

* – Standby player