Republic of Ireland manager Carla Ward says it has been a balancing act in selecting her squad to take on the the world number one ranked United States for the upcoming international friendlies.
The Girls in Green will be in action in the early hours on Thursday (2am Irish time) in Denver, Colorado before before the sides meet again three days late in Cincinnati, where kick-off will be 8pm Irish time.
Katie McCabe is the high-profile absentee from the 23-player squad with Aoife Mannion, Heather Payne, Tara O'Hanlon, Jamie Finn, Lily Agg, Jess Ziu, Leanne Kiernan and Aoibheann Clancy also absent.
It has resulted in first call-ups for defender Hayley Nolan and midfielder Ellen Molloy under Ward and speaking to RTÉ Sport's Tony O'Donoghue, the manager insists it is something of a juggling act.
"We have to look after people on a human level as well. It's not about flogging them, it's about looking after them," she said of the absentees.
"When we talk about burnout, we don't just mean physical, there can be mental fatigue, and mental fatigue, for me, is far greater than physical fatigue."
Molloy, who returns following recent impressive performances with Wexford in the SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division, was singled out by Ward.
"The League of Ireland is an evolving league," she said. "It's still got a long way to go, it's part-time, so let's not let's not be too naive. I think international football is a massive step up.
"She's done tremendously well. She's been involved before, it's now for us to have a look at how she copes with this level.
"You want players playing full-time. That's the reality. When we look at the League of Ireland, the sooner we can get the League of Ireland full-time, the better for the future of the game."
A depleted Ireland taking on the standard bearers of the game on their home turf is no mean feat.
"It's difficult anytime to face this beast of the USA. And when you add in those other factors, in this heat, in this altitude, it's going to be difficult," she said.
All 16 previous encounters have taken place Stateside and Ward is hopeful of one day bringing the four-time World Cup winners to Lansdowne Road for a fixture.
"When I took the job, I spoke about it. How do we get it back in Dublin? Because I think you sell the Aviva out."
Watch USA v Republic of Ireland on Friday from 2am on RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app.
