England recall big guns for indoor Scotland clashes

ENGLAND have called on the cavalry for their four-match indoor series with Scotland later this month after they were on the wrong end of a drubbing against the Auld Enemy on Monday.

BOOST: England will be boosted by return of 14 players, including Ashley Jackson, to indoor squad for Scotland clashes (Grant Treeby Images/EHB)

Head coach Andy Halliday will welcome back 14 members of the England squad that finished sixth at the recent Champions Trophy in Melbourne, including Ashley Jackson, who was named WorldHockey young player of the year at the weekend.

Only four of the squad - David Beckett, Simon Egerton, Adam Harper and Richard Springham - that slumped to a 7-3 defeat to Scotland on Monday have been retained in the squad.

Out of the 14 joining up with the quartet, only Loughborough Students' David Condon and Surbiton's James Tindall are yet to make their international debuts for England.

Meanwhile, in the women's ranks, England head coach Nick Clarke has been forced to draft in four new faces following the withdrawal of Jo Eillis, Chloe Rogers, Susie Gilbert and Sally Walton, due to Great Britain's test series with Argentina.

All four were instrumental in England's 3-1 win over Scotland on Monday, but Clarke welcomes teenagers Sarah Haycroft, Lauren Turner, Georgie Twigg and Hollie Webb, all of whom will make their senior indoor international debuts in another four-match series against Scotland.

Both of England's squads will be using the tests in Scotland as vital preparation for their respective European campaigns in January, as the men go for promotion to Europe's top tier from the EuroHockey Indoor Nations Trophy division.

The women will be looking to climb out of the Challenge division after narrowly missing out on promotion in Sheffield two years ago.