Key stars return as Pedro Martinez Losa names Scotland squad for international double-header

Caroline Weir and Lisa Evans have been recalled to the Scotland squad after missing out of manager Pedro Martinez Losa’s maiden matches through injury.

Scotland international Caroline Weir returns to the squad after missing out through injury. Picture: SNS

The pair excel for Manchester City and Arsenal, respectively, and were unavailable for selection last month as the new head coach got off to a 100 per cent start with victories over Hungary and the Faroe Islands as the women’s national team look to get over the disappointment of missing this year’s European Championships with a return to the World Cup in 2023.

They will once again face Hungary on Friday, October 22 – this time at Hampden – before hosting Sweden in a friendly at St Mirren’s SMiSA Stadium the following Tuesday.

Martinez Losa will be without the services of Martha Thomas who is absent through injury. The Manchester United striker netted in both the 2-0 win in Budapest and the 7-1 hammering at Hampden and is generally viewed as the first-choice deputy to leading striker Jane Ross.

There is a further boost with the return of Lucy Graham. The 25-year-old Everton midfielder was another who missed out last time around. Erin Cuthbert is also included despite suffering an injury in stoppage-time of the Faroes win which required a stretcher to take her from the field.

The squad retains a youthful outlook with Glasgow City’s 20-year-old centre-back Jenna Clark, who netted in her debut against the Faroes, being retained, while there’s places for Hibernian’s one-cap pair Leah Eddie and Amy Muir.

Scotland will be looking to avoid any slip-up in their second and final meeting with the Hungarians in the five-team group. Leaders Spain and Ukraine, who’ve yet to play a match, will present tougher obstacles to overcome further down the road.

Martinez Losa said last month: "We have to go game by game. We will try to aim for first position.

"We are aware that first position is difficult but only if you dream and work for the first position, maybe you get the second but if you aim for second you maybe get third so will aim to win every match and will recap after every match.

"Let's try to be first and if we are just second at the end, we will deal with that."

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