IRELAND CENTURION AND Liverpool captain Niamh Fahey is set to return to action in tonight’s Continental League Cup clash against Manchester United.
Fahey, 36, has been sidelined with a calf injury since mid-September. Sustained in a pre-season friendly against United, it was a recurrence of the grade two tear the experienced defender struggled with in the run-up to this summer’s World Cup.
Whether she is fit enough to return to the Ireland squad for upcoming friendlies against Hungary and Northern Ireland remains to be seen, with interim manager Eileen Gleeson due to name her selection tomorrow.
But Fahey will bank some minutes at Prenton Park tonight and make her first appearance of the 2023/24 season, as confirmed by Liverpool manager Matt Beard in his latest column this morning.
“Our captain Niamh Fahey is back and she will get 45 minutes tonight,” he wrote.
“It’s great to have her back.”
Galway native Fahey shared her excitement in her programme notes, detailing Liverpool’s season thus far before turning to her own return:
“All things being well, I’ll be able to get some good minutes myself, so personally that’s something I’m really excited about and hopefully that will happen.”
Beard and Fahey also paid tribute to fellow Irishwoman Leanne Kiernan, as she continues her comeback from an ankle injury. The Cavan striker is stringing some substitute appearances together, and may feature in that capacity again tonight.
“Leanne Kiernan is getting there, she isn’t ready to start yet, so we are gradually building up her minutes,” Beard wrote. “It is going to take a little bit of time to get back to her old self and get that confidence going again.
“We are really pleased with how Leanne is progressing and I think these next few months will be about getting her consistency in training and then building her back up to starting games where she left off.”
“Everyone in the camp is thrilled to see her back on the pitch,” Fahey added on her team-mate for club and country.
“Leanne’s had a tough road back to full health and it’s just showed the mark of her determination to come back and she’s been sharp and looks back to the old Leanne.
“She’s flying and that’s great for her personally but also for us as a team with the quality that she has. She’s a fantastic striker and brings that pace and is able to stretch in behind and I think we’ve missed that, so having her back is a huge plus for us.”
