SCOTLAND head coach Anna Signeul has confirmed that her side has their best-ever chance of qualifying for a major championship finals after announcing her squad for this month's friendly against Norway and the opening Euro 2017 group match in Slovenia.
The first game, a friendly at Firhill on September 17, will be a tough test against a Norwegian side who are tenth in the Fifa rankings, ten places ahead of Scotland. That's followed five days later by the Slovenia game.
While Signeul is relying heavily on tried and tested players, there are places for young Hibs players Kirsty Smith and Lizzie Arnot - with Signeul promising that further emerging players are on her radar also.
The team captain is again Gemma Fay, who has returned to first team football with Celtic after injuring a knee in April's 1-1 friendly against Australia. The goalkeeper is in line to win her 184th cap against Norway.
One worry for Signeul is that two of her key players, Rachel Corsie and Kim Little, are involved in a huge game for their club Seattle Reign less than four days before the Firhill friendly. Having topped the table in the National Women's Soccer League's regular season for a second successive year, Seattle will host the first play-off semi-final on the evening of September 13.
"They will leave from Seattle on Monday and won't arrive in camp until Tuesday evening," Signeul reported. "That means they will have just one training session before the game on Thursday.
"They will have to take it easy because of jet lag and having had a tough game on the Sunday night. We don't want them to get injured before the game in Slovenia.
"We'll consider them for a start against Norway, but we have to think carefully about them playing a whole game."
Both players have won player-of-the-match awards in recent weeks, with Little scoring a hat-trick, including a superb individual goal, in last month's 3-0 away win against Houston Dash. She is the league's second top scorer and has provided the most assists.
With two teams in most groups set to qualify for the 2017 finals in the Netherlands, it would be a huge failure if the Scots failed to finish first or second in a group which also comprises of Belarus and Macedonia.
This month's opponents Slovenia are ranked 64th in the world.
"We have our best ever opportunity," said Signeul. "But it's always the same when you play qualifiers - you can't afford to lose any of them.
"We have to play a fast, hard working game. You can't just expect to turn up and win and I am really happy that all the players seem to be in great shape."
They include Jenny Beattie, revelling in a new holding midfield role at Manchester City, and striker Lisa Evans, who has joined Bayern Munich and scored in the 3-1 win against her old club Turbine Potsdam on Friday night.
Squad: Fay (Celtic), Lynn (Vittsjo), Brown (Bristol), Beattie (Man City), Corsie (Seattle), Dieke (Vittsjo), McSorley (Mallbackens), Mitchell (Arsenal), Smith (Hibs), L Ross (Gla City), Clelland (Tavagnacco), Crichton (Notts Co), Love (Gla City), Weir (Bristol), Arnot (Hibs), Evans (Bayern), Lauder (Gla City), Little (Seattle), Murray (Bristol), J Ross (Vittsjo)
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