Erin Cuthbert celebrated a triumphant return to the pitch in Scotland's impressive 2-0 win against Czech Republic. This match marked her first appearance of the season, following a challenging recovery from a knee injury.

The victory in the Women's World Cup round one play-off away leg sets up Scotland favorably for the return match in Paisley on Tuesday, where they anticipate facing Sweden if they progress.

Cuthbert, the Chelsea captain, 28, came on as a substitute in Pardubice. She joined fellow substitute Claire Emslie, who scored a brilliant goal to secure the win after Caroline Weir opened the scoring with a stunning strike.

Reflecting on her comeback, Cuthbert shared her emotions:

It's so good. It's been such a long summer. I'll never take it for granted when I get a serious injury.

She expressed relief at returning to the field, acknowledging the stress and self-doubt that accompanied her recovery. Cuthbert described her injury journey:

I was in crutches and a brace for the best part of a month. I lost a fair amount of muscle and over the summer I was trying to rebuild all of that again.

Cuthbert concluded, "It's been a really, really hard journey," highlighting both her personal struggle and the joy of playing for her country once more.