Experienced Republic of Ireland defender Niamh Fahey is out of Thursday night's crucial World Cup qualifier against Finland at Tallaght Stadium due to a groin injury.
Vera Pauw confirmed the Liverpool centre-half will not be fit for the sold-out clash, but the manager has not ruled Fahey out of Tuesday's trip to Slovakia.
Ireland can seal a place in the play-offs if they beat the Finns, and although Fahey’s absence is a blow, Pauw is confident she has capable replacements within her squad.
"Niamh won't make tomorrow. We had a scan, and on the basis of the scan we are sitting down tonight with the medical team to see if she can make Slovakia," she said.
"It's not a severe injury but she's not ready. We have a broad squad and I think we've found a very good solution. I'm not going to tell you!"
The likes of Diane Caldwell, Megan Campbell and Harriet Scott would all be in the frame to fill the void.
Pauw was playing her cards close to her chest but she is embracing a Tallaght "final" against a Finnish side that have to win to keep their own play-off hopes alive.
"This is not a game to experiment but you need to find solutions, so you will see tomorrow how are we going to do it," Pauw added.
"Finland is the crucial game. That's our final and we'll take that as a final in itself. After tomorrow we'll know where we stand.
"You could qualify (via the play-offs) by playing only one game, and there is a situation where you'd need four (play-off) games to qualify. That's a bit strange but that's what we have to deal with.
'Be with us! Cheers us up! In difficult moments, make sure you're loud and help us through those moments' - Vera Pauw with a rallying cry for the sold out crowd ahead of tomorrow's pivotal qualifier against Finland - @DaveKelly4 reports from Tallaght Stadium #rtesoccer pic.twitter.com/7fo9nGOqt0
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) August 31, 2022
"We see the magnitude of this game but we will approach it in exactly the same way because in itself this game comes at the end of the campaign. If it had been at the start of the campaign we'd have been sitting here telling other stories. This is a final. We'll go into it and give everything we can to get a fantastic result."
It'll be a noisy, partisan atmosphere tomorrow night with a record attendance anticipated. Tickets sold out over two months ago, and Pauw expects the fans to play a big role.
"In the difficult moments they are so loud. That will help us, it always helps. It's the passion of the fans that you really feel on the pitch.
"I would say that if there's a very unfortunate reason why you can't use your ticket, make sure that your neighbour comes."
REMAINING FIXTURES
Thursday 1 September
Republic of Ireland v Finland, Tallaght Stadium, 7pm
Georgia v Slovakia, Tengiz Burjanadze Stadium, 5pm
Tuesday 6 September
Slovakia v Republic of Ireland, Narodne treningove centrum SFZ, 5pm
Finland v Sweden, Tammela Stadion, 5pm
THE WORLD CUP PLAY-OFF FORMAT
- The winners of Europe's nine qualifying groups go to the World Cup.
- The nine runners-up head for the UEFA play-offs.
- In those play-offs, the three best runners-up get byes to round 2. The other six teams play three single-leg play-offs in round 1 on 6 October.
- The winners from round 1, and the teams that go directly to round 2, then compete in single-leg play-offs on 11 October.
- The two play-off winners with the highest ranking (based on results in the qualifying group stage and round 2 play-offs) progress to the finals.
- The other play-off winner will have to go to the inter-confederation play-offs from 17 to 23 February 2023 in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland WNT Squad
Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (Reading), Megan Walsh (Brighton & Hove Albion), Eve Badana (DLR Waves)
Defenders: Harriet Scott (Birmingham City), Claire O'Riordan (Celtic), Diane Caldwell (Reading), Louise Quinn (Birmingham City), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Hayley Nolan (London City Lionesses), Chloe Mustaki (Bristol City), Megan Campbell (Liverpool), Áine O'Gorman (Peamount United)
Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O'Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Megan Connolly (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ruesha Littlejohn (Aston Villa), Jamie Finn (Birmingham City), Ciara Grant (Hearts), Lily Agg (London City Lionesses), Ellen Molloy (Wexford Youths), Jess Ziu (West Ham United), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City)
Forwards: Heather Payne (Florida State University), Amber Barrett (FFC Turbine Potsdam), Leanne Kiernan (Liverpool), Abbie Larkin (Shelbourne), Saoirse Noonan (Durham WFC)
Follow the Republic of Ireland versus Finland on Thursday (kick-off 7pm) via our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app, watch live coverage on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player, or listen to national radio commentary on RTÉ 2FM.
