Bronze returns to England squad for Germany friendly

(Reuters) - Right back Lucy Bronze returned to the England squad after missing last month's training camp due to an injury as coach Phil Neville named a 28-player squad on Tuesday ahead of the friendly against Germany later this month.

Bronze, who signed for Women's Super League side Manchester City this season, withdrew from September's training camp after she picked up a knock in the goalless draw against Brighton & Hove Albion.

The 28-year-old will be joined by Olympique Lyonnais forward Nikita Parris, who also returns to the national squad after missing the previous camp due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

England will be back in action for the first time in more than seven months when they face Germany on Oct. 27 at the Brita-Arena in Wiesbaden behind closed doors.

The Lionesses last played in the SheBelieves Cup in March, where defeats by hosts United States and Spain condemned them to a third-place finish in the four-team tournament.

"It's exciting to be facing top-class opposition again after such a long lay-off," Neville said in a statement https://www.thefa.com/news/2020/oct/13/england-womens-squad-named-for-germany-trip-131020. "Germany are currently ranked second in the world so there's no doubt it will be a tough test for us.

"It will give us a clear idea of where we're at in terms of our squad depth and development as we prepare for the home UEFA Euro in 2022."

The Lionesses, ranked sixth in the world, will wrap up the year with a match against Norway on Dec. 1 at Bramall Lane.

(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Chennai; Editing by Christian Radnedge)