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Newcastle Jets striker Tara Andrews is set to earn her first Matildas cap after she was selected in the squad for this month’s tour of China.
Coach Alen Stajcic has retained the bulk of his World Cup team that stormed to the quarter-finals in Canada earlier this year, including stars Lisa De Vanna, Kyah Simon, Laura Alleway and Katrina Gorry.
Overseas-based duo Elise Kellond-Knight and Emily van Egmond, currently playing for clubs in Germany, will also travel for the matches against China and England and possibly a third opponent from October 19-28.
Among the few omissions are Ashleigh Sykes, Nicola Bolger and former captain and goalkeeper Melissa Hudson (nee Barbieri) who retired from international football after her fourth World Cup.
In their place Stajcic has called up Andrews and her Jets teammate Georgia Yeoman-Dale, along with Sydney FC teenager Amy Harrison and Wanderers defender Caitlin Cooper.
Andrews is the only uncapped player, while Cooper and Yeoman-Dale last represented the Matildas in 2012.
Harrison’s only appearance for the senior women’s national team came earlier this year against New Zealand.
“It’s a good opportunity for players who were in the World Cup squad to keep their spot,” Stajcic said.
“But there are also some opportunities for some new players who have performed well in the W-League and in camp to try and stake a claim and show if they can play at international level.”
The China tour is seen as crucial preparation for the Matildas’ Olympic qualifiers in February.
It will be the final opportunity for the team to play together before the challenging qualifying tournament, from which only two countries will make it to Rio.
The Matildas had been scheduled to tour the US last month but were involved in a pay dispute with Football Federation Australia and cancelled the trip.
They have since accepted an interim deal and committed to the China tour earlier this month.
Matildas squad
Laura Alleway, Tara Andrews, Mackenzie Arnold (gk), Tameka Butt, Steph Catley, Caitlin Cooper, Larissa Crummer, Lisa De Vanna, Caitlin Foord, Katrina Gorry, Amy Harrison, Michelle Heyman, Elise Kellond-Knight, Alanna Kennedy, Samantha Kerr, Clare Polkinghorne, Hayley Raso, Kyah Simon, Emily van Egmond, Lydia Williams (gk), Georgia Yeoman-Dale.
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