Mannion, Campbell to miss out on World Cup squad

Both players struggled for fitness towards the end of the Women’s Super League season.

Tue, 27 Jun, 2023 - 21:39

John Fallon

Aoife Mannion and Megan Campbell won’t be among the 23-player Ireland squad for the Women’s World Cup, the Irish Examiner has learned.

Both players struggled for fitness towards the end of the Women’s Super League season for Manchester United and Liverpool respectively, leaving it too tight for Vera Pauw to name either when the squad is unveiled on Wednesday morning.

All 31 players in the preliminary squad were informed of their status on Tuesday and Pauw will convey the background to the marginal calls when she meets the media on Wednesday morning at the UCD Bowl.

The 23 unveiled will be joined on the plane to Brisbane on July 8 by three additional non-playing members, one understood to be a goalkeeper.

Three stoppers will be part of the regular squad but the shock exclusion appears to be Jamie Finn.

The Birmingham City player was a favourite of Pauw, especially for her versatility of playing in midfield or wing-back, but despite starting the campaign against Sweden and finishing against Scotland as a starter, hasn’t made the squad.

Her Blues clubmate Harriett Scott has also missed the cut, believed to also be among the cohort of three who will only be promoted from standby if a FIFA medic verifies one of the 23 is unfit up till the eve of the opener against co-hosts Australia on July 20.

Attacking positions was another competitive department and it appears that both Leanne Kiernan and Saoirse Noonan have been overlooked for the benefit of home-based Abbie Larkin.

Ireland’s quest to secure a top-two finish to set up a likely last-16 clash against England in Brisbane will be framed by the meeting with the Matildas followed by Olympic champions Canada on July 26 and Nigeria five days later.