Hope Powell has picked a strong group of players for the annual tournament

Hope Powell has named her England Women’s squad for the upcoming Cyprus Cup campaign.

The Three Lions will take on Italy (on 6 March), Scotland (8 March) and New Zealand (11 March) in the group stage of the annual friendly tournament.

And with the Euro 2013 Finals just five months away, the National Coach has selected a strong group of players for the trip.

Jess Clarke and Rachel Unitt are both in line to make their first England appearances for almost a year, while Kelly Smith and Rachel Brown return to the fold having missed the last game, against France, through injury.

Arsenal youngster and former U19 captain Jordan Nobbs could make her senior team bow in Cyprus, having played her way into contention towards the end of 2012.

Powell recently said of her squad: “If I compare it to five years ago, we've got a little bit more strength, a little bit more depth.

“The competition is fierce, which for me is a good thing. For the players it is a good thing as well.

“It means they work that much harder, they're that much more diligent, they want to play, and selection is not easy.

“So the depth is good. We've got a good mix of experience and young talent coming through.

“But the most important thing is: when you are in the tournament it's got to count for something, so when the tournament begins is really when we can ascertain and measure whether those players are up to the mark.”

Squad in full

Goalkeepers
Karen Bardsley, Rachel Brown, Siobhan Chamberlain
Defenders
Laura Bassett, Sophie Bradley, Steph Houghton, Alex Scott, Casey Stoney, Dunia Susi, Rachel Unitt
Midfielders
Anita Asante, Karen Carney, Jess Clarke, Jordan Nobbs, Jill Scott, Fara Williams, Rachel Yankey,
Forwards
Eniola Aluko, Toni Duggan, Kelly Smith, Ellen White, Rachel Williams.