Pauw hopeful O'Sullivan will make Australia showdown

Republic of Ireland manager Vera Pauw is hopeful Denise O'Sullivan will recover in time for Thursday's World Cup opener against Australia after the Cork midfielder suffered a shin injury in Friday night's behind-closed-doors game against Colombia.

Ireland asked for the match to be abandoned after 20 minutes following a bad challenge on O'Sullivan, with an FAI statement describing Colombia's approach as "overly physical".

Cork midfielder O'Sullivan immediately went to hospital for a scan on her shin.

She's wearing a protective boot and using crutches. However there's no fracture - it's a soft tissue injury - and the consensus in the Irish camp is that the damage could have been a lot worse. O'Sullivan will now work with the FAI medical staff on a return-to-play procedure, with Pauw crossing her fingers that the injury settles in the next 48 hours.

"She went to hospital and we still have hope she can make it," said Pauw. "There was risk of a big injury. Doctors feared that last night but that the X-ray showed there is hope.

"The first first 48 hours are the most important. She is off her feet. We have good hopes. It's too early to say.

"Denise is Denise and she says she's fine. She’s a tough cookie and will do everything to be on the pitch."

Ireland will have a warmdown session at Meakin Park in Brisbane on Saturday and a day off on Sunday before they ramp up preparations for Thursday's enormous shodwown with the Matildas in Sydney.

Tony Gustavsson's side enjoyed an impressive 1-0 victory over France in their final warm-up game in Melbourne on Friday, Mary Fowler - whose father is from Dublin - firing home the winner in the second half.