Centre Emily Scarratt will make her first England appearance in 11 months when the side begin their Women's Six Nations title defence in Scotland.

Maud Muir starts at loosehead prop for the first time having played tighthead on her previous four appearances.

Full-back Emma Sing could make her debut off the bench as England bid to win a fourth successive title.

Fly-half Zoe Harrison is absent because of a minor injury picked up in training, with Helena Rowland taking the reins at 10.

Scarratt returns having missed England's record-breaking autumn with a broken leg and is vice-captain, with number eight Sarah Hunter captaining the side.

Ellie Kildunne starts at full-back and wingers Abby Dow and Heather Cowell complete the back three.

Holly Aitchison partners outside centre Scarratt in midfield as Lagi Tuima is left out of the matchday squad.

Scrum-half Natasha Hunt will have to wait for her first England appearance since November 2020 as Leanne Infante starts and Lucy Packer is set for her second cap off the bench.

Prop Bryony Cleall returns after missing the autumn internationals through injury and is on the bench.

'Motivation not in question' as World Cup approaches

Galligan made her England debut in the 2019 Six Nations but after contracting meningitis later that year and then sustaining a complicated injury she has had a lengthy wait for her second cap.

Head coach Simon Middleton said the lock "exemplifies what international rugby is about, in that she was given an opportunity and to this point she's taken it".

Galligan's place in the starting XV is by no means secure as, with the World Cup fewer than seven months away, Middleton plans to rotate his 40-player England squad through the first three games of the Six Nations as he considers his options.

The head coach said he hopes to find out "which players can put the best version of our game on the field come the big occasion".

Some may not expect England to face too great a challenge in Edinburgh given in their last three Six Nations games against Scotland they have scored 185 points and conceded just 10.

But Middleton says his side "massively respect Scotland" and there is plenty to play for on Saturday.

"We set our stall out to be better in every game," he said.

"Keeping your place in the side is a pretty good motivator as well. The motivation is not even in question.

"We had a great autumn series, we have got a World Cup coming up. Everyone just wants to get going and can't wait for it."

England: Kildunne; Cowell, Scarratt, Aitchison, Dow; Rowland, Infante; Muir, Davies, Bern, Galligan, Ward, P Cleall, M Packer, Hunter (capt).

Replacements: Powell, Cornborough, B Cleall, Beckett, Matthews, L Packer, Reed, Sing.