Uefa Nations League: Fishlock, Ingle and Rowe return for Wales

Jess Fishlock, Sophie Ingle and Rachel Rowe have all been included in Gemma Grainger's squad for Wales' opening Nations League matches against Iceland and Denmark.

Rowe missed Wales' 2-0 defeat by the USA in July through injury while Ingle was suspended.

Fishlock was included in the initial squad for the San Jose fixture, but did not play because of injury.

"It's a huge boost for us," said manager Grainger.

"I feel like the USA game gave us a different challenge without those three players, it was something we'd never faced as a team, so to play what were the current world champions at the time without those three, what we got from that, and the experience for the players who stepped into the role - and the different experiences for the squad as a whole - was just so valuable.

"But to have them ready for the competitive games was always the aim, so to have them available is brilliant for us."

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Uncapped duo Mary McAteer and Lauren Thomas also feature in the squad - along with a third uncapped player Ellen Jones who has replaced Alice Griffiths.

"It's about the here and now, but it's about the longer term and development of this team as well," added Grainger who succeeded Jayne Ludlow as Wales boss in March 2022.

"It's about protecting the future and with Lauren and Mary we have two very high potential players and it's my job and the team's job to make sure we develop the current team, but that we also look to the future and they can get exposure in camp around our senior players.

"It's only going to help them in terms of their training and their development. They're both playing in the second tier in England and both playing, starting games and scoring goals and it's really nice to see."

Wales, who missed out on qualifying for the 2023 World Cup in a play-off, travel to Iceland for their League A3 opener on 22 September before hosting Denmark at Cardiff City Stadium four days later.

Euro 2022 runners-up Germany are also in the group.

The Nations League is the first phase of qualifying for the 2025 European Championships in Switzerland, but Grainger welcomes opposition who are all ranked higher than her side's 31st place in Fifa's world standings.

"It's competitive and that's what we want as a team," she said.

"We know we're fourth seed in our group, but the way that we see the group is that we're a team that will compete with the others.

"We've been playing higher-ranked teams ever since my role in the team started and that's something we're used to doing. We're very focused on what it looks like to qualify for the European Championships.

"We had a four-year plan and we're two years into that now and we feel like we're right on track and the Nations League gives us an opportunity to be competitive and to step up in competitive games.

"Unlike the World Cup qualifiers, we'll see back-to-back games against higher-ranked nations, which is something that's new to us so I'm really excited and I know that the players are also."

Wales' final two games of the campaign will both be at home against Iceland and Germany - which the Football Associaition of Wales has confirmed will be played at the Cardiff City Stadium and the Swansea.com Stadium respectively.

"One of the most important things for me, and for the team is to take this team around Wales," said Grainger.

"Hopefully one day we can get up to Wrexham for a game once the stadium is ready to host us up there.

"So for us to be able to play games in Cardiff is fantastic for the fans, but for us to go to the Swansea.com and really see that area of the country... we have players from that area and it's brilliant to be able to go to that stadium and I'm really excited for that game against Germany there."

Wales squad: Laura O'Sullivan (Cardiff City Ladies), Olivia Clark (Watford - On loan from Bristol City), Safia Middleton-Patel (Manchester United), Rhiannon Roberts (Real Betis), Charlie Estcourt (Reading), Hayley Ladd (Manchester United), Josie Green (Leicester City), Gemma Evans (Manchester United), Lily Woodham (Reading), Esther Morgan (Heart of Midlothian), Ella Powell (Bristol City), Sophie Ingle (Chelsea), Angharad James (Tottenham Hotspur), Anna Filbey (Crystal Palace), Jess Fishlock (OL Reign), Ceri Holland (Liverpool), Ffion Morgan (Bristol City), Megan Wynne (Southampton), Rachel Rowe (Rangers), Carrie Jones (Bristol City), Kayleigh Green (Charlton Athletic), Elise Hughes (Crystal Palace), Mary McAteer (Sunderland), Chloe Williams (Blackburn Rovers), Ellen Jones (Sunderland), Lauren Thomas (Blackburn Rovers).

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