Leanee Kiernan back in fold but Katie McCabe likely to miss Zambia game

Vera Pauw has named all her available big guns in a 31-player Republic of Ireland World Cup training camp squad despite some, including Katie McCabe and Denise O'Sullivan, unlikely to be available for the upcoming friendly against Zambia at Tallaght Stadium on 22 June.

Pauw's plans have been complicated by a European Clubs' Association [ECA] directive that players can only be released for international duty from 23 June. The clubs body have argued that players require post-season rest before linking up wth their countries to prepare for the tournament.

Initially, they had set a mandatory release date of 10 July - just ten days before Ireland play Australia in their World Cup group opener. A compromise was reached between the ECA and FIFA, with an earlier, non-mandatory release timeframe of between 23 and 29 June set, with the exact day of release at the discretion of the clubs.

It means that captain McCabe, who had a heavy load of games this year due to Arsenal's run to the Champions League semi-finals, will link up with the squad after Zambia, while Manchester United defender Aoife Mannion is being monitored after suffering a knee injury in training recently.

Pauw has left the door open for McCabe to feature against the Zambians. She will come into camp on either 19 or 23 June, but her involvement will depend on her physical conditioning, which will be closely monitored.

The three US-based players - Denise O'Sullivan, Sinead Farrelly and Marissa Sheva - will arrive after the Zambia game with their domestic campaign in full swing.

The other 27 players will link up in Dublin this Monday to continue preparations. The training sessions will be split between UCD and the FAI National Training Centre in Abbottstown over a four-week