Fife set to win first cap as Kerr prepares to use full squad in double header

NORWAY WOMEN

V SCOTLAND WOMEN

Hibernian goalkeeper Jenna Fife is expected to make her Scotland debut over the next five days, either tonight against Norway or on Monday when Russia are the opponents.

Both games are in La Manga, where a number of northern European women’s teams have escaped their cold climates to arrange training camps and friendlies.

Fife, who is 22, came into the squadfortheworldcupqualifiers against Belarus and Albania last autumn. She is the only uncappedplayeramongthe23 in La Manga and head coach Shelley Kerr has indicated that every one will get playing time.

“They can’t all start,” she said, “but they will all get game time. It’s important they experience playing against tough teams. There’s no point in having a full squad and not giving them minutes.”

Fife is more likely to come on as a substitute in one, or both,

0 Jenna Fife: Debut expected. of the games but there looks set to be a first start for German-born central defender Sophie Howard.

The 24-year-old is Scottish qualified through a grandparent and made four substi- tute appearances in 2017 after being drafted in by former head coach Anna Signeul to help deal with an injury crisis.

“She needs an opportunity to start,” Kerr said. “We’ve been very impressed with her in training. She’s young, but she reads the game well.”

Kerr, who replaced Signeul after the Euros, is planning to put more emphasis on attack despite Norway, who are former World Cup, European Championship and Olympic winners, being nine places higher in the Fifa rankings.

“If you look at the stats from the past, we’ve had very little possession when we’ve played against the better teams,” Kerr pointed out. “It’s draining as a team to defend for 90 minutes.

“The emphasis has been on attacking in our training sessions – but we recognise there will be periods in a game where we do have to defend.”

Norway, who had a poor showing in the European Championships, losing all three group games without scoring a goal, are without star striker Ada Hegerberg, who quit international football after the tournament despite only being 22.

The former European Foot- baller of the Year said she wanted to concentrate on her club career at Champions League holders Lyon.

Scotland lost 4-0 the last time the nations met in a Firhill friendly in 2015. Prior to that there was a 2-2 draw at East End Park in 2012.

Glasgow City holding midfielder Jo Love will captain the side tonight instead of Rachel Corsie, who withdrew from the squad to have an exploratory examination on a troublesome knee. She had that on Wednesday and Kerr reported that there are no further complications.