LEICESTER City forward Hannah Cain is in the mix to win her first Wales cap after being selected for the opening matches of the qualifying campaign for the 2023 Women's World Cup.

Gemma Grainger has named a 26-strong group for the fixtures against Kazakhstan and Estonia with a full-strength squad meaning there is fierce competition for places.

Cain adds to that with the 22-year-old set for her first Welsh action since scoring twice against Northern Ireland Under-17s in 2014.

She went on to play for England at age-grade level but has returned to the Wales fold.

Liverpool midfielder Ceri Holland is back after missing June’s 1-0 defeat to Scotland in Llanelli while Maria Francis-Jones and Bethan Roberts have been selected in the U19 squad that will face Northern Ireland in a double-header at Colliers Park during the international window.

Wales kick off the campaign against Kazakhstan at Parc y Scarlets on Friday, September 17 (kick-off 7.15pm) – with fans back in the stands – before travelling to Parnu to face Estonia on Tuesday, September 21.

They last faced Kazakhstan in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign, recording 1-0 wins

both home and away thanks to goals from Jess Fishlock and Hayley Ladd.

Grainger’s side will also be familiar with Estonia, having beaten them 2-0 at the Racecourse in March 2020 thanks to goals from Megan Wynne and Nadia Lawrence.

Wales host Estonia and Greece in the autumn and entertain France in April. They finish the campaign with a home fixture against Slovenia.

The team that finishes top of the group qualifies for the finals in Australia and New Zealand with France expected to claim top spot.

The runner-up goes into the play-offs, with two further nations qualifying from that and another entering a inter-confederation play-off tournament.

Tickets for the opener in Llanelli are available from £2 (group bookings) and £4 (individual bookings) at faw.cymru/tickets.

Cymru: Laura O’Sullivan (Cardiff City), Olivia Clark (Coventry United), Poppy Soper (Plymouth Argyle), Hayley Ladd (Manchester United), Gemma Evans (Reading), Rhiannon Roberts (Liverpool), Esther Morgan (Tottenham Hotspur), Rachel Rowe (Reading), Lily Woodham (Reading), Sophie Ingle (Chelsea), Anna Filbey (Charlton Athletic), Angharad James (North Carolina Courage), Josie Green (Tottenham Hotspur), Charlie Estcourt (Coventry United), Jess Fishlock (OL Reign), Carrie Jones (Manchester United), Chloe Williams (Manchester United), Ffion Morgan (Bristol City), Megan Wynne (Charlton Athletic), Hannah Cain (Leicester City), Ceri Holland (Liverpool), Kayleigh Green (Brighton & Hove Albion), Helen Ward (Watford), Elise Hughes (Charlton Athletic), Georgia Walters (Liverpool).