Jamie Finn and Leanne Kiernan omitted from Republic of Ireland's Women's World Cup squad; the tournament begins on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand; Ireland are in Group B alongside co-hosts Australia, Nigeria and Canada
Thursday 29 June 2023 09:47, UK
Katie McCabe has been included in Republic of Ireland's first World Cup squad, but Manchester United defender Aoife Mannion and Megan Campbell miss out.
Arsenal midfielder McCabe will captain the Republic of Ireland in their maiden major tournament, with their first game against co-hosts Australia on July 20.
After naming a 31-player training squad, Vera Pauw has narrowed her squad down to 23 with a few key names missing out.
Mannion was attempting to regain her fitness after suffering a knee injury at the end of the season. She has already recovered from two ACL injuries in her career.
Mannion returned to Manchester United's training ground in Carrington this week and had posted a picture of an Aer Lingus plane on social media.
Campbell left the team's training base last weekend after Pauw said she was undergoing return-to-play protocols following a lengthy lay-off since being released by Liverpool. Campbell has struggled for fitness of late.
"We tried our best but it is impossible," Pauw told Sky Sports News. "We did everything for them to give them the chance to get fit.
"With all the expertise we have involved, no stone has been left unturned, but unfortunately the timing is not on our side.
"It is so hard to tell players you break their dreams. They were devastated, of course. My heart is with the players who have not made the squad."
The manager said the decision to not include Birmingham's Jamie Finn in her 23-player squad - one of the shock exclusions - was the toughest to make.
Finn was part of the starting XI that beat Scotland to reach the World Cup. She has fallen down the pecking order in midfield, and has been named as a training player, along with Sophie Whitehouse and Harriet Scott.
Pauw said: "That has been the hardest decision because she has been involved in all the qualification matches and she has given so much to the team. Unfortunately, that is the nature of elite sports.
"The harmony in the squad is immense. If you saw how the players reacted, it was not a celebration for the players who are on the plane, it was more sadness for the players who are not.
"There were a lot of tears from both sides. That sums up the quality of this team. That bond is so strong. I wish we could bring them all."
Liverpool's Leanne Kiernan also misses out, having spent most of the season on the sidelines with an ankle injury sustained on the opening day of the campaign. She played 45 minutes in Ireland's friendly against Zambia last week but misses out on selection.
In terms of players included in the squad, 18-year-old Abbie Larkin, who plays for Shamrock Rovers, will be travelling to the tournament, while Ruesha Littlejohn has also been selected after her release from Aston Villa at the end of the season.
West Ham's Izzy Atkinson was not included in the original 31-player training squad, but has received a call-up after Campbell dropped out due to injury.
Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (Reading), Megan Walsh (Brighton).
Defenders: Heather Payne (Florida State University), Aine O'Gorman (Shamrock Rovers), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Louise Quinn (Birmingham), Diane Caldwell (Reading), Claire O'Riordan (Celtic), Megan Connolly (Brighton), Chloe Mustaki (Bristol City), Izzy Atkinson (West Ham).
Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O'Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Lily Agg (London City), Ruesha Littlejohn (Aston Villa), Ciara Grant (Hearts), Sinead Farrelly (NJ/NY Gotham), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham).
Forwards: Kyra Carusa (London City), Amber Barrett (Standard Liege), Marissa Sheva (Washington Spirit), Abbie Larkin (Shamrock Rovers).
Training players: Sophie Whitehouse, Harriet Scott, Jamie Finn.
The group stage will begin on July 20 and run over a two-week period finishing on August 3 and see group winners and runners-up progress to the round of 16, which takes place from August 5 to August 8.
The quarter-finals, which will be held in Wellington, Auckland, Brisbane and Sydney, are scheduled for August 11 and 12.
The first semi-final will then be played on August 15 in Auckland, with the other semi-final taking place on August 16 at the Accor Stadium in Sydney, which will then host the final on August 20.
A third-place play-off will be played the day before the final on August 19 in Brisbane.
