Leah Williamson has returned to the England squad for the first time since April, having recovered from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
The centre-back, 26, returns for friendlies against Austria and Italy on 23 and 27 February.
Both games will be played in Spain and will be preceded by a training camp.
Millie Bright, who led the Lionesses at the 2023 World Cup in Williamson’s absence, misses out with a knee injury.
England manager Sarina Wiegman said of Williamson’s return: “It’s really nice, especially for her. She’s back, she’s gaining minutes at Arsenal and doing well.
“Even though she has been out for months, her decision making is really good.”
She also added that she was happy with the way the players “stepped up” without Williamson but would not confirm whether she would captain the side.
Defender Bright, 30, has not featured for Chelsea in 2024 after the injury kept her out of the Lionesses’ Uefa Nations League matches in November.
But Williamson has made a gradual return to playing. She made her comeback for Arsenal as a substitute on 25 January and followed that by starting on 4 February in the Gunners’ defeat by West Ham – though she is yet to play a full 90 minutes.
Williamson led the Lionesses to the Euro 2022 title but missed last summer’s World Cup, where England lost to Spain in the final, and has not featured for Sarina Wiegman’s side since a 2-0 defeat by Australia on 11 April.
She suffered the ACL injury eight days later in Arsenal’s Women’s Super League (WSL) match against Manchester United.
Also included in the squad is uncapped Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Grace Clinton, 20, while Manchester City’s Jess Park is recalled.
City goalkeeper Khiara Keating, also yet to be capped by England, joins Manchester United’s Mary Earps and Hannah Hampton of Chelsea in the 23-strong squad.
But there is no place for Manchester United’s in-form forward Nikita Parris, who has scored seven goals in her past six games.
Wiegman’s England are building towards the 2025 European Championships, with the qualifying rounds starting in April and the draw taking place on 5 March.
England squad
Goalkeepers: Mary Earps, Hannah Hampton, Khiara Keating
Defenders: Lucy Bronze, Jess Carter, Niamh Charles, Alex Greenwood, Maya le Tissier, Esme Morgan, Leah Williamson, Lotte Wubben-Moy
Midfielders: Grace Clinton, Fran Kirby, Jess Park, Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Keira Walsh
Forwards: Rachel Daly, Lauren Hemp, Lauren James, Chloe Kelly, Beth Mead, Alessia Russo
Parris a hard decision – Wiegman
Wiegman also said that Chelsea winger Lauren James “looks OK” after an injury scare during Sunday’s win over Crystal Palace in the FA Cup and added that Parris’ omission was a “hard decision”.
“The competition up front is really high. In autumn she didn’t play that much but since the new year she’s played in the nine position and has done really well, and of course we have noticed that.
“I had a little chat with her and I hope she has consistency because we are talking about her again. I made some other choices now for this camp with the players we have. It was a hard decision.”
Wiegman ‘worried’ about players’ schedule
Wiegman also spoke about her concerns around the players’ congested schedule, even with her players missing out on this summer’s Olympics tournament in France.
“So far it looks similar to last year so I am worried about that,” she said.
“They want to compete. We want the players to be fit and fresh which means you always need a proper rest.
“You need to train in between June and July too. We have had conversations with clubs. These have been good conversations but we still don’t have solutions for that period.”
After the European qualifiers, England have an international window in June and the Champions League resumes in September.
“This really needs to be solved. It’s complex at the moment but players at the highest level, the demands are so high and they need a proper rest in between seasons. Things really need to be changed.”
In January, Williamson also raised concerns around the schedule following Australia and Chelsea star Sam Kerr’s ACL injury, telling The Telegraph that the current fixture schedule is “unsustainable”.