Sam Kerr and Martha Thomas have been included in the Scotland women's national team for the first time in nearly a year, as they prepare for the two-legged play-off matches against the Czech Republic in the Women's World Cup qualifiers. The matches will take place on October 9 and 13, with the first game in Pardubice, east of Prague, and the second at St Mirren Park in Scotland. A win in either of these matches would see Scotland advance to another two-legged play-off, where they would face either Sweden or Lithuania, with a chance to qualify for the 2025 World Cup in Brazil. Kerr, a midfielder currently playing for Liverpool in the Women's Super League (WSL), has been playing out of position as a right-back this season. She has not yet played under Scotland's Australian head coach Melissa Andreatta, with her last appearance for the national team coming in February 2025 during a match against the Netherlands. Thomas, who joined WSL2 side Newcastle United this summer, earned her 50th cap in a recent friendly match against Switzerland. Both players bring valuable experience to the squad. Other notable returns include Freya Gregory, a Liverpool midfielder, and Sophie Howard, a defender from Italian club Como. Both had to withdraw from the previous training camp due to injury. Celtic midfielder Maria McAneny, who scored in a high-scoring match against Luxembourg in March, also returns. However, some players have been dropped, including defenders Leah Eddie and Kenzie Weir, and forwards Eilidh Adams and Laura Berry. Mia McAulay, a young Aston Villa player who was added late to the previous camp, retains her place in the squad. Scotland has been in strong form in the qualifiers, going unbeaten in their group and finishing ahead of Belgium on goal difference. This marks their first major tournament since the 2019 World Cup, as they missed out on the last two European Championships and the 2023 World Cup. The squad features a mix of experienced players and rising talents, with goalkeepers including Eartha Cumings (Manchester City) and Sandy MacIver (Washington Spirit), and defenders like Nicola Docherty (Rangers) and Sophie Howard (Como). Midfielders such as Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea) and Sam Kerr (Liverpool) will be key to the team's success, while forwards like Freya Gregory (Newcastle United) and Martha Thomas (Newcastle United) will aim to contribute to the attack.