Women’s World Cup: Katie McCabe included in Republic of Ireland squad as Aoife Mannion and Megan Campbell miss out | Football News

Katie McCabe has been included in Republic of Ireland’s first World Cup squad, but Manchester United defender Aoife Mannion and Megan Campbell miss out.

Arsenal midfielder McCabe will captain the Republic of Ireland in their maiden major tournament, with their first game against Australia on July 20.

After naming a 31-player training squad, Vera Pauw has narrowed her squad down to 23 with a few key names set to miss out.

Mannion was attempting to regain her fitness after suffering a knee injury at the end of the season. She has already recovered from two ACL injuries in her career.

Mannion returned to Manchester United’s training ground in Carrington this week and had posted a picture of an Aer Lingus plane on social media

Campbell left the team’s training base last weekend after Pauw said she was undergoing return to play protocols following a lengthy lay-off since being released by Liverpool. Campbell has struggled for fitness of late.

Her former Liverpool team-mate Leanne Kiernan spent most of the season on the sidelines with an ankle injury sustained on the opening day of the campaign. She played 45 minutes in Ireland’s friendly against Zambia last week.

Birmingham’s Jamie Finn was part of the starting XI that beat Scotland to reach the World Cup and is one of the shock exclusions. She has fallen down the pecking order in midfield and will not be on the plane to Australia and New Zealand.

More to follow…