By Philip O’Connor
(Reuters) – Ireland coach Vera Pauw said that she expects Louise Quinn to be fit for her side’s World Cup Group B clash with Canada on Wednesday as the defensive lynchpin continues to recover from a knock picked up in their 1-0 defeat by Australia.
The 33-year-old centre-back arrived in Perth wearing a protective boot on her left foot, and she began Monday’s training session separate from the rest of the squad as Pauw prepared them for the clash with Canada.
“We need to see how that goes, but we are confident she can play,” Pauw told Ireland’s RTE in an TV interview.
Capped 106 times for her country, Quinn’s positioning and aerial power are key to Ireland’s low defensive block, and she is often moved up front as a target when chasing games, as was the case in the opening loss to co-hosts Australia.
The Irish may be bottom of the group after Canada’s scoreless draw with Nigeria, but Pauw said her team are still very much in the running to make the knockout stage.
“We were really hoping for this result and that’s how it came out, so the group is open again and there’s everything to play for,” she said.
(Reporting by Philip O’Connor; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
