SCOTLAND are likely to be without stand-in captain Kim Little for this afternoon’s Cyprus Cup game against Austria in Nicosia.
The Arsenal midfielder is expected to start on the bench for a game the Scots must win if they are to have any chance of reaching Wednesday’s final.
Little, along with goalkeeper Shannon Lynn and defenders Emma Mitchell and Jenny Beattie, played all 180 minutes of the previous Group B games against New Zealand and South Korea. National coach Anna Signeul has indicated that none will start against an up-and-coming young Austrian side.
Despite being the lowest-ranked team in the group, Austria held South Korea to a 0-0 draw in the opening game and followed it up with an impressive 3-0 win over New Zealand.
They have four points, as do the South Koreans, while Scotland have three.
“I don’t think I’ve played against Austria, even at under-19 level,” Little said – and it now looks as if her best chance of doing so will be as a substitute. “They’re going to the Euros so it will be a good for us to see the level of another team that will be in the competition.”
Little reckons the styles of the teams in Group B are also providing a useful taste of what can be expected in the Netherlands this summer.
New Zealand, who Scotland beat 3-2 last Wednesday, are a strong physical team similar to top Euro top seeds England.
South Korea, who beat Scotland 2-0 on Friday, play a possession-based game similar to Spain’s.
Austria are somewhere between the two and will provide a stiff test for a depleted Scotland side.
Despite needing the win, Signeul has insisted from the outset that the value of this year’s Cyprus Cup has been to find the best combinations ahead of Scotland’s first major championship. That was backed up by Little, who said: “The main focus now is preparing for the Euros.”
The best the Scots have finished in the 12-team annual tournament was fourth in 2011 when Little’s opening goal helped beat England 2-0 in a group game.
There could be a first cap for Glasgow City goalkeeper Lee Alexander because if Lynn is rested the choice is between Alexander and captain Gemma Fay.
The latter hasn’t played since January 20 when she went off injured after 28 minutes of the friendly against Denmark.
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