Scotland's hopes of qualifying for next summer's Women's World Cup in Canada received a huge boost when Lisa Evans was named in Anna Signeul's squad for the play-off semi-final games against the Netherlands.
The first leg is at Tynecastle a week on Saturday, with the return at the Sparta Stadium in Rotterdam the following Thursday.
The speedy attacker has been suffering from shin splints, but came on as a substitute for her club, Turbine Potsdam, 12 minutes from the end of Sunday's league match against Bayern Munich. Evans' previous competitive game was a World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland in Belfast four months ago - although she did play in a friendly against Portugal in August. "Provided that she can run and feels comfortable I'm not concerned about her lack of match fitness, because the positive is she will be fresh," said Signeul.
Evans' return gives her team-mates a massive lift because she scored a hat trick in the opening 33 minutes when Scotland last played the Netherlands, in the Cyprus Cup in March, when the Scots held on for a 4-3 win after the Dutch hit back from 3-0 down.
"It's not just the psychological aspect, but also the pace Lisa brings to the team and her ability to beat a player," Signeul pointed out. "She is always a threat going forward and has developed as a football player with her game understanding."
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