Aoife Mannion ruled out but Eileen Gleeson confident Ireland are ready for Cardiff mission

The Republic of Ireland will be without defender Aoife Mannion for Friday night's Euro 2025 play-off first leg against Wales, but head coach Eileen Gleeson is confident they are well stocked to cope with a Cardiff City Stadium cauldron.

Mannion was always a doubt despite being included in the squad last week. She's been absent for Manchester United with a muscle injury recently, and did not train with the group on Wednesday before they flew to Cardiff.

Gleeson confirmed today the 29-year-old is not fit to feature, so there's a void to be filled in central defence. Niamh Fahey is available and vastly experienced but she hasn't started a league game this season for Liverpool. Jessie Stapleton and the returning Megan Connolly are other viable options to slot in beside Anna Patten and Caitlin Hayes.

"Niamh's playing with a top club, she’s training, she played against Newcastle (in the League Cup last Sunday)," Gleeson said of the Galway 37-year-old.

"Niamh has great experience and we’ll draw on that when she’s, you know, solid with the team, we’ll focus on that part of it. We’re well aware of the exposure she has in the training that she’s putting in, we’re happy with that."

"I think we're more calm going into this game because we have that experience."

With around 17,000 tickets shifted, Wales will have a record crowd for a women's international behind them and Rhian Wilkinson's side will be pumped up: they're aiming to qualify for a first major tournament.

But Gleeson has confidence the Girls in Green will stand up the challenge, and is not placing too much emphasis on February's friendy between the sides, which Wales deservedly won 2-0.

"I don't think we learned anything that we didn’t know," Gleeson said of that clash. "What we