Sam Kerr’s versatility is a “super strength” that has helped her be named in her first Scotland squad in almost a year, says head coach Melissa Andreatta.

Predominantly a midfielder, Kerr has yet to feature under the Australian, with the last of her 34 caps coming in February 2025 off the bench against the Netherlands.

She has been deployed at right-back in the opening three games of the season for Liverpool and comes back into the Scotland ranks for next month’s Women’s World Cup round one two-legged play-off against the Czech Republic.

“She was close before the season ended, but it was just the timing of things, where we were in our preparations as well,” the head coach said after naming her squad, which also involves Newcastle United striker Martha Thomas for the first time since October, when she earned her 50th cap.

“I love versatility,” said Andreatta. “It’s great to have a balance in the squad, but it’s great to have a player who has a position as their priority but they have a position they can be moved into as well. It’s a super strength.”

Andreatta said she will be “keeping my cards close to my chest” on where the 27-year-old will be favoured when her side travel to Pardubice, east of Prague, on Friday, 9 October before welcoming the Czechs to St Mirren Park four days later.

From that, they are eyeing progression to another two-legged play-off against either Sweden or Lithuania with a place at next summer’s tournament in Brazil at stake.

Thomas’ Newcastle club-mate Freya Gregory – and Como defender Sophie Howard – who were forced to pull out of the last camp for the qualifying double-header against Israel, are also back in the squad.

Celtic midfielder, Maria McAneny – who last featured when scoring in a seven-goal thrashing of Luxembourg in March, returns too.

Defenders Leah Eddie and Kenzie Weir drop out, as do strikers Eilidh Adams and Laura Berry.

Mia McAulay was a late addition for the June double-header, but the Aston Villa youngster retains her place.

Andreatta’s unbeaten side topped their qualifying group on goal difference – one better off than second-placed Belgium – and are now four games away from their first major tournament since the 2019 World Cup, having missed the past two European Championships and the 2023 World Cup.

Though Scotland missed out on the tournament in Australia three years ago, Andreatta was there as part of her previous role as the Matildas’ assistant coach.

From that experience, she pointed to the need for “squad depth”, which she added was key behind recalling such players.

“In any match or tournament football, we need squad depth,” she explained.

“You need more than a 12-13 player roster to get deep into a tournament, and I am going to be that glass-half full optimist that says, ‘that is where we want to be, that is where we want to get to’.

“So, it’s my responsibility to start preparing for that.

“That means we have a squad in form, playing in multiple positions and is attacking-minded, which is the thinking behind those selections.”

Goalkeepers: Eartha Cumings (Manchester City), Lee Gibson (Glasgow City), Sandy MacIver (Washington Spirit).

Defenders: Georgia Brown (Jacksonville), Jenna Clark (Liverpool), Nicola Docherty (Rangers), Sophie Howard (Como), Emma Lawton (Ipswich Town), Rachel McLauchlan (Newcastle United), Amy Muir (Glasgow City).

Midfielders: Chelsea Cornet (Birmingham City), Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea), Christy Grimshaw (AC Milan), Sam Kerr (Liverpool), Kirsty Maclean (Liverpool), Maria McAneny (Celtic), Miri Taylor (Aston Villa), Caroline Weir (Lyon).

Forwards: Lauren Davidson (Brann), Claire Emslie (Angel City), Freya Gregory (Newcastle United), Kirsty Hanson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kirsty Howat (Crystal Palace), Mia McAulay (Aston Villa), Kathleen McGovern (Newcastle United), Martha Thomas (Newcastle United).