Naomi Girma returns for USWNT; recovering Trinity Rodman out - ESPN

Defender Naomi Girma will return to the United States women's national team for the first time in nearly five months for a pair of upcoming friendly matches against Italy.

USWNT coach Emma Hayes named her 26-player roster on Wednesday. It included two first-time call-ups and several other returning players, but it does not feature forward Trinity Rodman, who just returned to the field briefly on Saturday for the Washington Spirit after spraining the MCL in her right knee in October.

Also absent from the roster is goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, the presumptive new No. 1 in net. Tullis-Joyce recently suffered a fractured eye socket with Manchester United. She has four appearances for the USWNT since debuting in a 2-0 win over Brazil on April 5.

The U.S. plays Italy on Nov. 28 at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida, followed by a rematch on Dec. 1 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Girma has struggled with multiple calf injuries since joining English champion Chelsea in January as women's soccer's first $1 million transfer. She missed all the spring international games before returning to the team in June, only to sustain a different calf injury in late summer. She recently returned to action for Chelsea.

Girma was the key defender in the USWNT's run to an Olympic gold medal in 2024, prompting Hayes to call Girma «the best defender I've ever seen.»

Midfielder Croix Bethune, who is healthy again and starting for the Spirit in the team's playoff run, also returns to the USWNT for the first time since July.

Goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz and forward Jameese Joseph are joining the senior USWNT for the first time for the training camp and games against Italy.

Hayes has experimented with players throughout the year in