Emma Duffy Reports from Cardiff City Stadium

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND head coach Eileen Gleeson has confirmed Aoife Mannion is ruled out of their Euro 2025 play-off final against Wales.

The decisive double-header gets underway at Cardiff City Stadium tomorrow [KO 7.15pm, RTÉ 2] with both sides looking to reach their first European Championships.

Manchester United defender Mannion had been a doubt, as reported by The 42, but Gleeson did not confirm her absence from the squad until this afternoon’s pre-match press conference.

“Aoife is gone,” said Gleeson. “She’s been out early on so we’ve had to accept that Aoife has been out from the start so we’ve just been focusing on the 23 players that we have in with us.”

Niamh Fahey is a now option to return at centre-back, and Gleeson has no concerns about the 37-year-old’s lack of club minutes at Liverpool.

“Niamh is in the squad and can play a role,” the manager said. “[She is a] super professional and has kept herself in top shape that she can still compete here at the top level of international football.

“She’s playing with a top club, she’s training. Niamh has great experience and we’ll draw on that, she’s solid with the team. We’re well aware of the exposure she has in the training that she’s putting in, we’re happy with that.”

Gleeson described the first leg as “critical” ahead of next Tuesday’s return tie at the Aviva Stadium. She wouldn’t be drawn on Ireland being slight favourites or having greater experience, having previously featured at the 2023 World Cup.

“It’s a huge game for both, big reward at the end of it. We’re expecting a very evenly-matched tie. I think both teams have similar profiles, and we know Wales are really well organised, some good mobility and some really key players.

“The title of favourites and the title of this, that and the other, it’s all going to come down to these two games.

“I think the language around it, ‘the greater experience’ – it’s one experience. It’s our first qualification and like Wales, we haven’t qualified for a Euros so we’re looking to push for that. There’s no denying qualification and experience in winning a play-off of course is a really positive experience and we’ll be looking to draw on that.”

Denise O’Sullivan, sitting on her right hand side, echoed those sentiments and says Ireland are calmer ahead of this game than the World Cup play-off win over Scotland at Hampden Park two years ago.

“We’ve all experience in these big games and emotions will be high but our full focus is on these three points and where I think we’re very prepared, I think we’re more calm going into this game because we have that experience.

“We can’t get ahead of ourselves, we know it’s over two legs, full focus will be on the first leg and see if we can get something out of that. Then we’ll go back to Dublin with the home advantage and train, put in a really good performance and do well.

“We know it’s a lot of pressure but I think we’re more prepared than ever and we can handle that. We have to go in with a mentality that after the first game, it’s not over.”

Denise O'Sullivan training this afternoon. Mike Jones / INPHO Mike Jones / INPHO / INPHO

O’Sullivan, who is out of season since North Carolina Courage were knocked out of the NWSL play-offs two weeks ago, is “raring to go” ahead of her 118th international cap.

The Cork midfield maestro earned her first against Wales in 2011, scoring a brace as the Girls In Green won the Euro qualifier 2-0 at Newport. A crowd of 440 watched on that day; over 16,000 tickets have been sold for tomorrow night with a record crowd expected.

“Representing my country for the first time was a huge honour and I remember being really nervous before that game,” O’Sullivan reflected.

“But I had the Ciara Grants and the Emma Byrnes just giving me a few words before the game. Then I went on and scored two goals on my debut so it was very, very special.

“It just shows the growth of the women’s game, 400 at that game and now over 20k [tickets sold for the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday]. It shows the massive increase in numbers. The game is just kicking on and it’s great for women’s football.”