AS THE 2027 Women’s World Cup group qualifying phase nears its conclusion, Carla Ward is due to name her latest Ireland squad on Friday morning.
Ireland welcome Netherlands to Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Friday 5 June, before rounding out with a trip to Grenoble to face France four days later, on Tuesday 9 June.
The Girls In Green are third in Group A2 after a crucial double win over Poland last month, and with a seeded play-off all but guaranteed, the group is wide open.
How our group table looks following yesterday’s action…
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) April 19, 2026
Here are three talking points ahead of tomorrow’s squad announcement.
1. What can we expect?
Ward has stayed relatively consistent with her squad selection and starting teams, barring injury. That is likely to remain the case as the campaign reaches its business end.
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The head coach has named the same forwards in both squads, and only been forced into defensive changes due to injury. Hayley Nolan and Jessie Stapleton dropped out of the respective panels, with Tara O’Hanlon and Shamrock Rovers’ Maria Reynolds replacing them. Nolan has since returned to fitness to help Crystal Palace win WSL 2, but Stapleton hasn’t featured since March so remains a doubt.
Midfield has seen the most change from squad to squad: Jamie Finn was initially dropped for the second selection, with Lily Agg due to return alongside Jess Ziu, and Bohemians teenager Aoibhe Brennan earning a first call-up. Agg and Brennan were forced to withdraw through injury, with Finn and another League of Ireland prospect, Aoibheann Clancy, subsequently selected.
While Agg is sidelined with another long-term injury – and, interestingly, rumoured to be linked with the Athlone Town vacancy – Brennan has returned to action. Could she get another chance?
Remember, Denise O’Sullivan is suspended for the Netherlands game. More on that below, but familiarity is expected with Katie McCabe and O’Sullivan leading the charge.
2. Keane for inclusion?
Courtney Brosnan is Ireland’s undoubted number one, but another exciting goalkeeper is emerging from the shadows.
Katie Keane has stepped up for Leicester City through the closing stages of the WSL season. The 19-year-old was called upon against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium when first-choice Olivia Clark went off injured at half-time. While the Foxes suffered a heavy defeat, Keane was a bright spark on her debut.
The Meath native again impressed against another heavyweight, Chelsea, while it was a case of Ireland’s future versus present when she fell to a late defeat to Brosnan’s Everton last weekend. Keane may get the nod to face another Irish goalkeeper in Saturday’s WSL play-off, as Leicester look to survive against Sophie Whitehouse and Charlton Athletic.
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Uncapped Keane has been called up by Ward before, but it feels like she needs to be a more permanent fixture in the GK Union. Whitehouse has been brilliant for Charlton this season, Grace Moloney hasn’t played competitively for Sunderland since February: could we see one drop out to make way for Keane here?
3. Suspensions – and other things to keep in mind
O’Sullivan and Emily Murphy are suspended for the Dutch showdown at Páirc Uí Chaoimh after both picking up two yellow cards. It is an unquestionable blow for Ireland to lose two of their best players of the campaign to date. (Katie McCabe and Marissa Sheva are the others on one booking.)
While Abbie Larkin is the obvious replacement for Murphy in the XI, O’Sullivan’s absence brings a bigger headache for Ward. Lucy Quinn struggled while deputising in Utrecht, Ruesha Littlejohn’s inclusion may be in question due to limited minutes, while it could be a big ask to start Jess Ziu on the comeback trail. A rejig may be preferred, but that will all be teased out on the training pitch.
Heather Payne is another name back in the general mix after missing most of the season through injury. Dana Scheriff could be another League of Ireland prospect on the radar: the US-born, Irish-eligible striker has made a blistering return to Athlone Town with 10 league goals in seven games.
With many players now out of season, there will be no shortage of topics for Ward to discuss in her press conference, with the future of McCabe sure to be in the spotlight following her Arsenal exit. Seeing ‘unattached’ beside her name will be strange.
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Three talking points as Ireland squad to be named for Netherlands and France finale
AS THE 2027 Women’s World Cup group qualifying phase nears its conclusion, Carla Ward is due to name her latest Ireland squad on Friday morning.
Ireland welcome Netherlands to Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Friday 5 June, before rounding out with a trip to Grenoble to face France four days later, on Tuesday 9 June.
The Girls In Green are third in Group A2 after a crucial double win over Poland last month, and with a seeded play-off all but guaranteed, the group is wide open.
Here are three talking points ahead of tomorrow’s squad announcement.
1. What can we expect?
Ward has stayed relatively consistent with her squad selection and starting teams, barring injury. That is likely to remain the case as the campaign reaches its business end.
The head coach has named the same forwards in both squads, and only been forced into defensive changes due to injury. Hayley Nolan and Jessie Stapleton dropped out of the respective panels, with Tara O’Hanlon and Shamrock Rovers’ Maria Reynolds replacing them. Nolan has since returned to fitness to help Crystal Palace win WSL 2, but Stapleton hasn’t featured since March so remains a doubt.
Midfield has seen the most change from squad to squad: Jamie Finn was initially dropped for the second selection, with Lily Agg due to return alongside Jess Ziu, and Bohemians teenager Aoibhe Brennan earning a first call-up. Agg and Brennan were forced to withdraw through injury, with Finn and another League of Ireland prospect, Aoibheann Clancy, subsequently selected.
While Agg is sidelined with another long-term injury – and, interestingly, rumoured to be linked with the Athlone Town vacancy – Brennan has returned to action. Could she get another chance?
Remember, Denise O’Sullivan is suspended for the Netherlands game. More on that below, but familiarity is expected with Katie McCabe and O’Sullivan leading the charge.
2. Keane for inclusion?
Courtney Brosnan is Ireland’s undoubted number one, but another exciting goalkeeper is emerging from the shadows.
Katie Keane has stepped up for Leicester City through the closing stages of the WSL season. The 19-year-old was called upon against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium when first-choice Olivia Clark went off injured at half-time. While the Foxes suffered a heavy defeat, Keane was a bright spark on her debut.
The Meath native again impressed against another heavyweight, Chelsea, while it was a case of Ireland’s future versus present when she fell to a late defeat to Brosnan’s Everton last weekend. Keane may get the nod to face another Irish goalkeeper in Saturday’s WSL play-off, as Leicester look to survive against Sophie Whitehouse and Charlton Athletic.
Uncapped Keane has been called up by Ward before, but it feels like she needs to be a more permanent fixture in the GK Union. Whitehouse has been brilliant for Charlton this season, Grace Moloney hasn’t played competitively for Sunderland since February: could we see one drop out to make way for Keane here?
3. Suspensions – and other things to keep in mind
O’Sullivan and Emily Murphy are suspended for the Dutch showdown at Páirc Uí Chaoimh after both picking up two yellow cards. It is an unquestionable blow for Ireland to lose two of their best players of the campaign to date. (Katie McCabe and Marissa Sheva are the others on one booking.)
While Abbie Larkin is the obvious replacement for Murphy in the XI, O’Sullivan’s absence brings a bigger headache for Ward. Lucy Quinn struggled while deputising in Utrecht, Ruesha Littlejohn’s inclusion may be in question due to limited minutes, while it could be a big ask to start Jess Ziu on the comeback trail. A rejig may be preferred, but that will all be teased out on the training pitch.
Heather Payne is another name back in the general mix after missing most of the season through injury. Dana Scheriff could be another League of Ireland prospect on the radar: the US-born, Irish-eligible striker has made a blistering return to Athlone Town with 10 league goals in seven games.
With many players now out of season, there will be no shortage of topics for Ward to discuss in her press conference, with the future of McCabe sure to be in the spotlight following her Arsenal exit. Seeing ‘unattached’ beside her name will be strange.
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