Ireland face further injury woes for Nations League as Caitlin Hayes ruled out for Celtic

Ahead of the home and away Nations League games against Albania later this month, there was mixed news for interim Republic of Ireland manager Eileen Gleeson over the weekend, several of her players remaining on the injury list where they are now joined by Caitlin Hayes.

The Celtic defender, who made an impressive international debut against Northern Ireland last month, limped out of her side’s 2-1 win over champions Glasgow City on Thursday night after taking a knock to her knee, and was ruled out of their game against Motherwell on Sunday.

Niamh Fahey, Leanne Kiernan, Aoife Mannion, Jess Ziu and Jessie Stapleton also missed their Women’s Super League games at the weekend, while injury kept Ruesha Littlejohn out again for Championship side London City Lionesses.

On the positive side, Megan Campbell is back in action, coming on to make her debut for Everton on Sunday, albeit in a 1-0 defeat away to Leicester. Heather Payne started the game for Everton, but Courtney Brosnan was once again left on the bench.

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Amber Barrett, meanwhile, was among the goals for Standard Liege, scoring twice in nine minutes in a 3-2 defeat to league leaders Oud-Heverlee Leuven. And Abbie Larkin made her full debut in Glasgow City’s 3-0 win over Spartans on Sunday, next in the schedule for the Dubliner Wednesday’s Champions League qualifier against Norway’s Brann.

And back home, Ellen Molloy is amping up her recovery from the anterior cruciate ligament injury she suffered a year ago, the 19-year-old, given her senior Irish debut by Vera Pauw in 2020, only returning to action for Wexford Youths last month. She was on the scoresheet for them in their 2-2 draw with Bohemians.

Erin McLaughlin did her chances of a recall to the squad no harm either, the Donegal woman who made her debut against Zambia in June scoring twice in Peamount United’s 2-1 win over Treaty United, a result that keeps them well on course to win the league title.

In the United States, Denise O’Sullivan and Kyra Carusa squared up in the NWSL game between North Carolina Courage and San Diego Wave, the scoreless draw securing San Diego a first-round bye in the league play-offs. With one game to go, Courage can still make those play-offs, as can Gotham and Washington Spirit, homes of Sinead Farrelly and Marissa Sheva, respectively.