The Lionesses face China – Women's Exhibition Fixture
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the non-competitive game between England and China at the iconic Wembley. The match is set to be a thriller with the European Championship holders taking on the current Asian Cup champions.
The iconic Wembley is sold-out for the occasion, which will see Fran Kirby honored pre-match after her international retirement before the Euro tournament this past summer.
Squad announcements 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 small issue, and so ex-first choice Ellie Roebuck has been summoned.
With Hannah Hampton injured, it will be intriguing to observe who England manager Sarina Wiegman selects in goal. Those details along with further updates are incoming before the opening whistle at 5:30 in the evening GMT.
Team News
The lineups have been announced. 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.
Bench: Hings, Baggaley, Kendall, Wubben-Moy, Beever-Jones, Kelly, Kearns, Park, Blindkilde Brown, Roebuck, Clinton, Denton, Fisk, Godfrey.
Details are being sought for the Chinese lineup now; once it is available, I will share it.
Leadership Role
Keira Walsh is captaining the Lionesses with Leah Williamson still sidelined. She shared these thoughts before this encounter:
Walsh steps up as England meet fresh challenge in battle of continental titleholders.
Debut Alert
The upcoming fixture will be Anna Moorhouse's debut for England. She was a part of the European Championship squad who won this past summer, but she did not play any minutes with Hannah Hampton in the number one shirt.
Recent Action
The initial encounter of the Women’s Nations League title decider took place yesterday; catch up with all of the events:
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 current information as the match proceeds.
