Ireland’s World Cup play-off preparations have been hit with a fresh blow.
West Ham ace Jess Ziu picked up a knee injury during Sunday’s FA WSL Cup penalty shootout win over London City.
Ziu, who was forced off just short of the hour mark, was due to meet up with the rest of the squad on Tuesday morning in Castleknock.
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Her place will instead be taken by Shelbourne’s Keeva Keenan.
Ireland boss Vera Pauw’s preparations for next week’s play-off against the winners of Scotland and Austria have been rocked by injuries to key players.
Ziu has quickly established herself as an integral part of the side and was excellent in the two recent wins over Finland and Slovakia.
Regular starters Megan Connolly and Ruesha Littlejohn are also absent through injury, as are Savannah McCarthy, Ellen Molloy, Aoife Colvill and Leanne Kiernan.
Liverpool striker Kiernan’s recent form for club and country had put her in the frame for a vital role in the October 11 play-off.
However, she was struck down by a serious ankle injury while playing against Chelsea last month.
Pauw discussed the Cavan native’s misfortune at last week’s squad announcement, saying: “It happened before. She’s on the point of getting through, and then something happens.
“It’s so unfortunate. I feel so sorry for her.
“This tackle was coming from behind, I’ve seen it maybe 20 times. I went through it and through it, but I couldn’t change anything. But I wanted to know what happened.
“It’s so unfortunate. I’ve never seen her so sharp and so direct as in the last camp.”
REVISED SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (Reading), Megan Walsh (Brighton & Hove Albion), Eve Badana (DLR Waves)
Defenders: Harriet Scott (Birmingham City), Keeva Keenan (Shelbourne), 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), Jamie Finn (Birmingham City), Ciara Grant (Hearts), Lily Agg (London City Lionesses), Niamh Farrelly (Parma), Roma McLaughlin (Central Connecticut University), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City), Isibeal Atkinson (West Ham United)
Forwards: Heather Payne (Florida State University), Amber Barrett (FFC Turbine Potsdam), Abbie Larkin (Shelbourne), Saoirse Noonan (Durham WFC), Kyra Carusa (HB Hoge)
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