SCOTLAND head coach Anna Signeul says she is largely unconcerned about a spate of injuries to key players ahead of next month’s friendly against Belgium.
The game, in Leuven on April 11, is the seventh of 10 preparation games ahead of Euro 2017. No fewer than eight players, including Arsenal midfielder Kim Little, were missing from yesterday’s 19-player squad.
Signeul’s biggest problems are in defence. Three of her four central defenders – Rachel Corsie, Jen Beattie and Joelle Murray – cannot be risked, while two full backs are also out.
One of them, Arsenal’s Emma Mitchell, is likely to be out for three or four months with a hamstring injury and could miss the Euros.
Compounding the Swede’s difficulties, goalkeeper and captain Gemma Fay has started the season at Glasgow City on the bench. The champions’ head coach, Scott Booth, has preferred the uncapped Lee Alexander; both are in the squad along with Vittsjo’s Shannon Lynn.
Celtic captain Kelly Clark has been drafted into the squad despite not being on Signeul’s short-list for the Euros. Two other uncapped central defenders, Vaila Barsley and Sophie Howard, are expected to join her.
Barsley, 29, plays in Sweden with Eskilstuna United and Howard, 23, in Germany with Hoffenheim – but both are Scottish qualified.
Signeul expressed frustration that an unnamed home nation failed to complete the required paperwork for them to be included yesterday.
“It’s going to be resolved,” she promised, “but we’ve been waiting one and a half weeks for this paperwork and we’ve been chasing and chasing. It’s not hard.”
Neither Wales nor Northern Ireland has a connection with either of the central defenders.
When asked if she was concerned about the eight injuries, Signeul said: “I’m only worried about Emma Mitchell. All the others will be fine.
“It’s mostly small tears in the muscles which take two or three weeks.
“If this had been in June I would be concerned. Two or three weeks now and you can leave the injuries to heal - then they have the whole of April and May to play games and get fit.
“This game is not a qualifier – it’s a friendly against Belgium.
“We have new players we can look at, who can come in and say they want to be a part of this.”
Signeul did admit that having No 1 goalkeeper Fay sitting on the bench at Glasgow City was a problem. The 35-year-old, who has 197 caps, hasn’t played a full game this year.
The keeper was injured in Scotland’s opening friendly against Denmark in January, being replaced by her understudy Shannon Lynn. She returned for the third of the four Cyprus Cup games earlier this month, but suffered a different injury on the hour and again had to come off.
She is now fully fit but Booth has preferred to stick with Lee Alexander as his No 1 keeper. The latter is also in the squad for Belgium but got no game time at the Cyprus Cup.
“I am concerned,” Signeul said. “If Gemma is going to sit on the bench and have to wait for Lee Alexander to make a mistake, “I understand that’s very frustrating for her.
“It’s not a good situation.”
Chelsea midfielder Erin Cuthbert is not in the squad as she is expected to captain the Scotland under-19 team in their three Euro elite round matches.
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