Vera Pauw counts injury cost as Ireland announce Women’s World Cup squad
The Republic of Ireland manager, Vera Pauw, says it was “impossible” for injury victims Aoife Mannion and Megan Campbell to have made her Women’s World Cup squad.
The defensive pair, who play for Manchester United and Liverpool respectively, were not included on the 23-player list named by Pauw on Wednesday for the upcoming tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
Mannion has been troubled by a knee problem while Campbell missed the end of the domestic season with an unspecified injury. “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 Liverpool forward, Leanne Kiernan, and Birmingham’s versatile Jamie Finn also missed out as Pauw trimmed her provisional group of 31 players down. Arsenal’s Katie McCabe and Liverpool defender Niamh Fahey are both included, as is Standard Liège’s Amber Barrett, whose goal against
Scotland sealed qualification.
Changes could still be made before the Fifa deadline for squad submissions on 10 July. With that in mind, Finn – who can play in defence or midfield – joins Sophie Whitehouse (Lewes) and Harriet Scott (Birmingham) on a standby list of players who will remain with the squad.
Pauw said: “That has been the hardest decision because she [Finn] 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. I wish we could bring them all.
“The harmony in the squad is immense,” the Dutch coach added. “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.”
The Republic play France at Dublin’s Tallaght Stadium on 6 July in their final warm-up match before travelling to the tournament, where they face Australia, Canada and Nigeria in the group stage.