Katie McCabe has been named in the Arsenal squad that will travel to Australia for an end-of-season friendly - a week out before the Republic of Ireland face Sweden in a Euro 2025 double-header.
The Gunners will take on an A League Allstars selection at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on Friday 24 May. Ireland welcome Sweden to the Aviva Stadium just seven days later, before the return fixture on Swedish soil the following Tuesday.
For McCabe the jet lag and toll of the journey would massively disrupt her build-up, as Eileen Gleeson's side look to get points on the board following losses to France and Belgium.
The Irish coach, speaking to RTÉ Sport ahead of naming her squad for those opening qualifiers, said "we have it obviously factored into our planning processes" if McCabe were to head Down Under.
"I mean, it's far from ideal," Gleeson added.
"Sarina Wiegman and other coaches have mentioned it in their squad announcements and public conversations.
"It’s directly post the end of the season, straight into a really long travel trip with a really quick turnaround directly before a qualifier. So yeah, it poses a real challenge for the player and for us as well. If it happens, we will have to manage it and best prepare for it if she is involved."
