REPUBLIC of Ireland fans were left disappointed by the absence of one star from the starting XI against Sweden. The Girls in Green face the Scandinavians at the Aviva Stadium this evening , with Eileen Gleeson dealing with a number of key injuries. STARTING XI | Ireland v Sweden Our 11 to start at the Aviva ✊ #COYGIG | #OUTBELIEVE pic.
twitter.com/IYqSHUJDba Midfield pairing Denise O'Sullivan and Ruesha Littlejohn both miss the game. However, it was a different absentee from Eileen Gleeson's starting XI that caught the eye - Leanne Kiernan.
The 25-year-old ended the 2023/24 season in blistering fashion, scoring a second-half hat-trick in Liverpool's 4-0 win over Leicester City on the final day of the Women's Super League. She also got on the score sheet for the Merseyside club in a shock 4-3 victory over eventual champions Chelsea earlier in the run-in. However, she had to settle for a place on the bench, with Amber Barrett's bright end to the season with Standard Liege earning her a start.
Fans can expect Kiernan to be brought off the bench later on in the game as Ireland remain in the hunt for a result, but this possibility did not please some on social media. One said: "I dunno how to feel? How can you not start Leanne in the form she’s in. "I don’t think brining her off the bench with 20/15 mins to go is impactful she needs to be playing longer for us" Maria added: "no leanne is a crime" while Ciara posted: "i think i’m ok with this.
toland instead of agg. kiernan .
