Decision not to take Beth England or Aoife Mannion may prove crucial in the side’s dress-rehearsal for the World Cup

Friendly tournaments do not always inspire but the SheBelieves Cup has gone beyond the standard fare. Now in its fourth year, the tournament brings together four of the top international teams in women’s football, with the USA – the host nation – the constant.

This year, as the USA, England, Japan and Brazil prepare to take the field in Philadelphia, Nashville and Tampa, the competition offers a glimpse at their World Cup credentials. The decision of the BBC to broadcast all of England’s pre-World Cup friendlies – split between BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Four – means all of the SheBelieves Cup will be free to air.

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As well as a look at how Phil Neville’s Lionesses stack up against the World Cup holders, the USA, we will also see how well they handle the 2015 World Cup runners-up, Japan, whom they will also face in Group D this June in France.

The England manager is sticking with players already in the fold, yet to be swayed by the form of Chelsea’s top scorer, Beth England, or Birmingham’s defensive rock Aoife Mannion.

Neville’s decision not to include the 24-year-old England – who has signed a new deal at Chelsea that keeps her at Kingsmeadow until 2021 – in his plans could prove costly, despite his insistence that his team is picked on form and performance.

The Lionesses benefit from some of the finest attacking talent in the world, with the WSL’s all-time top scorer, Nikita Parris, and Barcelona’s Toni Duggan currently the squad’s in-form forwards. But is that enough? Faith in Birmingham’s Ellen White and Chelsea’s PFA player of the year, Fran Kirby, poses challenges. They are both credible starters when fit but have struggled with injury. White only recently returned from a back problem while Kirby is not long back after damaging a hamstring in November. Their fresher legs could well be a boon come June, but they need to find their feet quickly and to be match fit straight away. It is a risk.

The loss of Jordan Nobbs to an ACL rupture at Everton in November was a huge blow to England’s hopes in France. As a precaution, Jill Scott – who is even more vital to the midfield in the absence of the creative powerhouse Nobbs – has been left behind “in order to manage her return to full fitness ahead of this summer’s World Cup”, according to the FA.

First up on Wednesday in Chester, Pennsylvania, are Brazil, whom England beat in October, a Fran Kirby strike in the second minute giving England victory at Meadow Lane. The South Americans pose the easiest of the challenges in this tournament, having lost five of their six friendlies since securing Word Cup qualification – as well as the defeat to Neville’s side, they have been beaten by Canada, France, US and Australia.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Brazil’s veteran midfielder Formiga will face England in Pennsylvania on Wednesday. Photograph: Pedro Vilela/Getty Images

Marta, five times world player of the year, is still capable of moments of brilliance but is not in the form that led to her being labelled the best woman to have ever played. Formiga, who will be playing in her seventh World Cup should she make the plane and turns 41 on 3 March, rolled back the years when the two sides met last year, her and Atlético Madrid’s Ludmila the brightest sparks in a largely tame performance.

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Then from below freezing temperatures, England head to the warmer climes of Nashville to face the USA on Saturday. It is hard to bet against the Americans retaining the title they won in 2015. Unbeaten in 2018, they fell to an unexpected defeat to France in their first game of the new year – the 3-1 scoreline not doing justice to how comprehensively they were outclassed. Yet they will probably be unfazed, and it has provided a valuable insight into the side that could prove to pose the biggest threat to a repeat trophy. The Portland Thorns midfielder Lindsey Horan has missed out on selection because of a thigh injury, giving Samantha Mewis, McCall Zerboni, Emily Fox and Andi Sullivan the chance to stake a claim for a seat on the plane in June.

The head coach of Japan, Asako Takakura, has a fine balance of experience at her disposal, with Lyon’s Saki Kumagai and Inac Kobe Leonessa’s Aya Sameshima there to balance younger players who helped lift the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in France last year along with Endo Jun, who has been called from the Under-19 squad.

England conclude their matches against Japan, in Tampa on Tuesday. With World Cup Group D containing these two as well as Scotland and Argentina, the matches at SheBelieves could give a strong indication of the balance of forces within the group.