Expect a pair of familiar faces and an all-new one when the USWNT faces Colombia this month

Two returning veterans and the latest marquee young prospect highlight the U.S. women’s soccer team’s roster for its two-game series with Colombia later this month.

Centerback and captain Becky Sauerbrunn is back for the first time since suffering a foot injury in April. The injury cost the 38-year-old not just almost four months of the Portland Thorns’ NWSL season, but what would have been her last World Cup.

There will be questions about Sauerbrunn’s future too, as impolite as they may be. She’ll turn 39 in June, the Olympics start in late July, and Tierna Davidson and Naomi Girma look like the centerback pairing of the future and present. But interim U.S. manager Twila Kilgore gave a robust defense of Sauerbrunn’s form and place with the team.

“The quality of play that Becky has shown in her return has been very, very high,” Kilgore said. “There’s a reason why she’s one of the, and has been one of the, best centerbacks in the world. She has been called into this camp because she continues to be one of the best centerbacks that we have. "

It’s also notable that an injury has Davidson sidelined at the moment, so there’s playing time open. We’ll likely see combinations of Sauerbrunn, Girma, and Alana Cook in these games.

Forward Sophia Smith is back for the first time since suffering a medial collateral ligament sprain in her right knee in late August, in her second game back with the Thorns after a star turn in the World Cup.

As a fine goal in the game before the injury showed, Smith’s stardom isn’t going anywhere. The 23-year-old scored 11 times in the regular season, winning the NWSL’s Golden Boot award even with the absences.

» READ MORE: Sophia Smith’s family reveled in watching the USWNT’s World Cup breakout star

The young debutante is a Thorns teammate of Sauerbrunn and Smith, Olivia Moultrie. But while the 18-year-old is headed to her first senior national team camp, she isn’t a new name. She signed an endorsement deal with Nike at age 13, and, two years after that, sued the NWSL to force the league to drop its ban on minors playing.

Players including Sauerbrunn publicly backed Moultrie, and so did the judge with an initial preliminary injunction. The league eventually settled, allowed Moultrie in, and this year allowed teams to sign two minors each without requiring the league’s permission.

Another top teen, 18-year-old Jaedyn Shaw, has been outstanding with San Diego. She’s on this U.S. roster too, after earning her first senior U.S. call-up last month. So are 23 other players who were in last month’s camp.

» READ MORE: Jaedyn Shaw brings the future to the present as the USWNT’s new teenage phenom

“It’s really important that we create a pathway for them to integrate into the environment and learn from it,” Kilgore said of a young caucus that also includes forwards Alyssa Thompson and Mia Fishel.

“Every time we expose younger players to what they actually need to be part of this very unique and special circumstance — meaning this team, but also high-quality international soccer — they learn something that then affects their game,” Kilgore continued. “They’re also talented and capable of helping now. It’s just the decision of whether now is the right time and also if they’re outperforming their teammates.”

Interestingly, Kilgore noted that calling in all of the available players from the World Cup team was “a directive” from sporting director Matt Crocker, and she has “quite a bit of leeway with the rest of the roster.”

Davidson, midfield playmaker Rose Lavelle, and outside back Kelley O’Hara are out because of injuries.

Kilgore said the U.S. team is “being very careful with protecting players,” which certainly is understandable for friendlies.

Lavelle and O’Hara were late scratches from last month’s camp. Their replacements, forward Midge Purce and left back M.A. Vignola, earned return invitations.

Vignola’s inclusion is the more significant of the two. She made her U.S. debut last month at a position that has long lacked depth. With nine defenders and six midfielders on this squad, one can wonder if Crystal Dunn might finally get another chance to play for the national team at a more attacking position.

Colombia should provide a great and fun test. Las Cafeteras were one of the best stories at the World Cup, as Real Madrid rising star Linda Caicedo led the team on a Cinderella run.

Along the way, there was a superb 2-1 upset of powerhouse Germany, a round-of-16 win over Jamaica, and a narrow but honorable 2-1 loss to England in the quarterfinals. With the U.S., Canada, and Brazil going out before then, Colombia stood as the last team from the Americas in the World Cup field.

“They’ve grown in a lot of ways since we’ve last played them, and they’re going to be a formidable opponent not just now, but somebody that we could potentially see in the Olympics,” Kilgore said. “There’s a lot of focus on the growth of women’s game all around the world, especially in Europe. But I think Colombia is a great example of the development that’s happening in South America, and something that everybody should be paying attention to.”

The games are set for Oct. 26 in Sandy, Utah, outside Salt Lake City (9 p.m., TBS, Universo, Max, Peacock) and Oct. 29 in San Diego (5:30 p.m., TNT, Telemundo 62, Max, Peacock).

Goalkeepers (3): Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)

Defenders (9): Alana Cook (OL Reign), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign), M.A. Vignola (Angel City FC)

Midfielders (6): Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville), Lindsey Horan (Lyon, France), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)

Forwards (9): Mia Fishel (Chelsea, England), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave), Midge Purce (Gotham FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City), Lynn Williams (Gotham FC)