The Republic of Ireland have been given a huge boost with the confirmation that Denise O'Sullivan will start against Australia at the Accor Stadium in Sydney on Thursday night.
O'Sullivan has been making good progress since suffering a painful shin injury against Colombia last Friday that left her wearing a protective boot.
Manager Vera Pauw confirmed at her pre-match press conference today that the Cork midfielder is good to go after she came through training on Monday and Tuesday with no adverse reaction.
"We said from the start we are very open, we have nothing to hide," said Pauw. "Denise is fit, she will play."
Ireland were greeted by a travelling green army of supporters when they touched down at Sydney Airport on Wednesday morning, having spent the last week at their training base in Brisbane.
"It's so heartwarming the way the Irish react to us every time," Pauw said.
"It’s not just being there but the way they are being there that gives us such a boost and we embrace it. It’s so nice. We just gave them a little time and I’m not sure everyone was happy with that. But it’s so nice to have those moments."
Captain Katie McCabe, sitting to her manager's right, added: "It was such a special moment because we've seen a lot and heard a lot and obviously we felt a lot when we were back in Dublin in our pre-camp but to see it in person when we arrived was a very special feeling.
"For us, it’s amazing to have that moment with our fans but of course now it’s full focus on Australia and they will come out in huge numbers for us tomorrow night."
The size of the task at hand has not been lost on anyone, with Pauw stressing there's more to the Matildas than the brilliant Sam Kerr.
"We are prepared for a team that has come to every single, with one exception... but all other World Cups.
"They have huge experience, class players, immense pace all on the outsides of their team, from the wing in a circle back to the left full-back. So we know what we are going to face, and within that we are going to try and play our game.
"We do know the pressure, we are debutants, it is the first time we are on this stage, the way we have come here is something to be really really proud of.
"We are very realistic in our chances here, but we play every game to win, we start the game to win. We hope we can also show our qualities forward. The thing is Australia is a team that will put pressure on us and will push us back."
McCabe agreed, but said Ireland will embrace their underdog status ahead of their first ever game at a Women's World Cup.
"It's something that as a small nation we kind of carry that title, I guess. We know we are making our debut in the tournament, but for us we know what we want to do.
"We don’t want to just be here and be happy to be here, we want to compete and we want to give Australia, Canada and Nigeria the hardest games possible, starting tomorrow night. It’s going to be exciting. We know what Australia have, they’ve got quality all over the park.
"We also know what we can do on the pitch. Having played against Australia two years ago, I’m sure it’ll be a very different team tomorrow night. How much they’ve grown as a team over the last few years has been really good.
"They’ve got some nice results along the way, but so have we. We’ll be making sure we are fully focused on tomorrow night."
Watch the full pre-match press conference with Katie McCabe and Vera Pauw
Watch Republic of Ireland v Australia in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player on Thursday at 11am, follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app or listen to live commentary on 2fm
