England women looking to take out frustration on big three in US

Mark Sampson's team in Florida for new comptition

England Women's football team (Getty)

England’s women will this week measure themselves against the world’s best, and the more successful they are the more frustrating it will be.

Mark Sampson’s team are in Florida to play the world’s top three in a new competition, the She Believes Cup.

In quick succession they face the United States (world champions), Germany (European champions) and France (world No 3). Whether they win or lose they will come home consumed by thoughts of what might have been.

By coming third in last summer’s Women’s World Cup, England qualified for the Olympics, but they will not be in Rio. England would have to play under the GB flag and, to the Football Association’s anger, this has been blocked by the other home nations for fear of losing their independent status in Fifa.

The US, Germany and France will be in Rio, with the Americans defending the title they won in London. This is part of their Olympic preparation, but for England it is the year’s big event. They also have Euro 2017 quialifiers but this is a much more demanding level of competition.

Sampson has put aside his experimenting and picked a strong, experienced squad. Katie Chapman, who captained Chelsea to a league and cup double last summer, has been recalled along with new team-mate Karen Carney and Arsenal defender Alex Scott. All three are cap centurions, a club that Eniola Aluko, who has 98, hopes to join while in the US.

For Scott the recall is a relief after being left out of the party that drew with Germany in Duisburg in November. “It was the first time I had not been selected in 11 years so it is good to be back,” said the 31-year-old full-back. “This will be a real test. It is easy in qualifiers for players to score goals and look world-beaters, but these are the games we need to play if we are to go to Euro 17 aiming to win it. They will be tough.”

The squad has seven players apiece from FA Women’s Super League favourites Chelsea and Manchester City, which will not please their managers given the season starts on 23 March.

The games are all on the BBC, though kick-off times are unfriendly and only the opening game is on a major channel. The Olympics it isn’t.

Fixtures: Fri 4 March: USA v England (Tampa, 0.45am, BBC1); Sun 6 March: England v Germany (Nashville, 10.45pm, BBC red button; Wed 9 March: England v France (Boca Raton, 10pm, BBC red button).

Squad: Goalkeepers: Bardsley (Man City), Chamberlain, (Liverpool), Telford (Notts County). Defenders: Bassett (Notts County), Bronze (Man City), Flaherty (Chelsea), Greenwood (Liverpool), Houghton (Man City), Rafferty (Chelsea), A Scott (Arsenal), Stokes (Man City), Stoney (Arsenal). Midfielders: Chapman (Chelsea), Christiansen (Man City), Nobbs (Arsenal), J Scott (Man City), Williams (Arsenal). Forwards: Aluko (Chelsea), Carney (Chelsea), Davison (Chelsea), Duggan (Man City), Kirby (Chelsea), Taylor (Portland Thorns).