Ireland Women’s World Cup buildup plans hit by clubs’ player-release stance

The Club association wants a longer break before the tournament meaning Vera Pauw may have to rethink Ireland's pre tournament camp.

PREPARATIONS AFFECTED: Republic of Ireland manager Vera Pauw during the women's international friendly match between USA and Republic of Ireland at CITYPARK in St Louis, Missouri, USA. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

The buildup to this year’s Women’s World Cup could be severely disrupted after the European Club Association (ECA) told the national associations that players will not be available until 10 days before the tournament starts.

The women’s game has been rocked by several high-profile injuries in the past year, including ruptured anterior cruciate ligaments suffered by players such as Vivianne Miedema, Alexia Putellas, Beth Mead and, last week, the England captain, Leah Williamson.