Pauw to keep O'Sullivan in squad regardless of availability for Matildas clash

Ireland’s midfield maestro is wearing a protective boot and using a crutch to aid her walking.

VITAL COG: Manager Vera Pauw and Denise O'Sullivan. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Sat, 15 Jul, 2023 - 17:14

John Fallon

Vera Pauw has indicated she will keep Denise O’Sullivan in her Ireland squad even if Thursday’s blockbuster World Cup opener comes too soon for her injury to heal.

Ireland’s midfield maestro is wearing a protective boot and using a crutch to aid her walking following a nasty challenge that prompted the abandonment of Friday’s training match against Colombia at Meakin Park on the outskirts of Brisbane.

The 29-year-old from Cork was set to harness Ireland’s assault on a first-ever tournament until an unnamed opponent lunged towards her shinbone 20 minutes into what was supposed to be a light warm-up for both nations ahead of opening World Cup assignments.

The 102-times capped schemer was discharged from St Andrew’s Hospital late on Friday night, with Pauw confessing the first 48 hours are crucial in establishing a prognosis for her return.

She has the option of altering her 23-player squad up to the eve of Thursday’s opener against the co-hosts at a sold-out 81,500 Sydney Olympic Stadium. Medical grounds are justifiable in this case, perhaps presenting a reprieve for the axed Jamie Finn, but Pauw appears to be making an exception in the case of the North Carolina Courage captain.

Ireland have Olympic champions Canada to come in Perth on July 26 before concluding the pool against Nigeria five days later back in Brisbane.

"I have said it before: Denise is arguably the best midfielder in the world,” Pauw said of O’Sullivan.

“Of course, you’ve got exceptional players and a few out of this world.

“We have hope because it is soft tissue and not a bone fracture but bone bruising. She was in awful pain after the tackle. Now let’s see how it settles after 48 hours – the crucial time for such an injury.

“Let’s not think that way, we have hopes she makes it.

“In my mind, there is so much going on. But hey, we played the recent friendly against Zambia without Denise and we won 3-2, a match then Germany lost 3-2.

“We have a squad who have a knowledge of their tasks and the execution of those tasks. Everyone is at the highest level of their capacity.

“Denise is out of category, so that is a completely different story. Every single scenario has been discussed over this period; enhancing the harsh choices that we had to make for the players that we brought in.

“And this is one of them, what do we do if she is injured? So those scenarios are ready, for every single player.”

Despite the farcical nature of the workout, culled after just 20 minutes, Pauw harbours no regrets about taking on the Colombians in a setting behind closed doors. It would require the referee to file a report to FIFA for it to risk a player being suspended for the World Cup.

“We saw seven of Colombia’s last games, analysed five of them, and hadn’t seen a challenge like that,” she said.

“We chose it for a different playing style because we have to get flexible in the execution of our task and you can only do that by playing against different styles and systems, to get stronger in your own qualities. That’s what we did with Zambia, then France, now a South American team.

“So no, I don’t regret. You could say well now what might have happened if we wouldn’t do this? But we have chosen this and not China for example, because we played them already.

“The sequence of games we planned was from top level to different style, top level to different style and so on. Our preparation level has been superb. We don’t know why the players behaved the way they behaved. And again I’m very proud we have taken this very, very unconventional step and did what we did.

“Our players feared for their bodies and that fear I saw in their eyes convinced me to discuss it with the FAI and the referee. We had to take this action.”

The Irish squad, bar O’Sullivan, were back at Meakin Park on Saturday for a recovery session – and how they needed it – with preparations intensifying ahead of their Wednesday’s 65-minute flight to Sydney.