SCOTLAND’S hopes of getting off to a winning start against New Zealand in the four-game Cyprus Cup tournament this afternoon have been badly hit by injuries and illness.
Five players – captain Gemma Fay, full back Kirsty Smith, central defenders Rachel Corsie and Ifeoma Dieke, and striker Lana Clelland – are unavailable for the match.
Smith and Dieke could return for the second game against South Korea on Friday, while Fay is likely to come into contention for the third on Monday, when Austria are the opponents. There is a less optimistic outlook for Corsie and Clelland.
“I’m a bit worried about the start we’re having,” Signeul said.
The injury to Corsie is a particular blow as Signeul had been intending to experiment with a back three in one of the Cyprus Cup games. That is now unlikely to happen.
“It would have been a great opportunity to try it out,” said the coach, whose plans to use the tournament to hone the side ahead of Euro 2017 have already been seriously disrupted.
Fay’s long-time Shannon Lynn will get her first back-to-back starts since making her debut as a substitute against Switzerland in 2010.
Manchester City’s Jennifer Beattie and Hibernian captain Joelle Murray look set to be the central defenders.
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