Soccer

Sinead Farrelly ruled out of Ireland squad for France and England qualifiers

Aston Villa defender Anna Patten named in squad but awaiting international clearance

Ireland’s Sinead Farrelly will miss the France and England games because of a quad injury. Photograph: Nikola Krstic/Inpho
Ireland’s Sinead Farrelly will miss the France and England games because of a quad injury. Photograph: Nikola Krstic/Inpho
Mary Hannigan
Thu Mar 28 2024 - 10:30

Having called up 40 players since last September, and given game-time to 28 of them over eight games, Republic of Ireland manager Eileen Gleeson had some challenging choices to make ahead of naming her latest squad.

Not least because this group faces the formidable task of kickstarting their Euro 2025 qualifying campaign against France, third in the world rankings, in Metz on Friday week, before taking on reigning European champions England in Dublin the following Tuesday.

As it proved, there were no major surprises in the squad Gleeson announced at Sky HQ on Thursday morning, the most notable absentee midfielder Sinead Farrelly who is ruled out with the quad injury that saw her miss Gotham’s first two games of the NWSL season.

Liverpool captain Niamh Fahey and Blackburn midfielder Tyler Toland both return after missing last month’s friendlies against Italy and Wales through injury, and a new name has been added to the squad in the shape of Aston Villa defender Anna Patten.

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Patten is, though, awaiting international clearance from Fifa before being declared eligible for the France and England games, the 24-year-old qualifying for Ireland through her Donegal-born grandfather and Galway-born grandmother.

More to follow

Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (London City Lionesses), Sophie Whitehouse (Lewes).

Defenders: Jessie Stapleton (Reading - on loan from West Ham United), Diane Caldwell (FC Zurich), Louise Quinn (Birmingham City), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Aoife Mannion (Manchester United), Caitlin Hayes (Celtic), Anna Patten (Aston Villa), Megan Campbell (London City Lionesses).

Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Megan Connolly (Bristol City), Ruesha Littlejohn (London City Lionesses), Tyler Toland (Blackburn Rovers), Lily Agg (Birmingham City), Heather Payne (Everton), Jess Ziu (West Ham United), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City), Izzy Atkinson (Crystal Palace).

Forwards: Kyra Carusa (San Diego Wave), Abbie Larkin (Crystal Palace), Amber Barrett (Standard Liege), Leanne Kiernan (Liverpool), Emily Murphy (Wake Forest University).

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan is a sports writer with The Irish Times