UEFA have confirmed that Anna Patten will miss the first leg of Ireland’s Nations League promotion-relegation play-off through suspension. The Aston Villa defender picked up her second yellow card of the Nations League campaign in Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Slovenia. But while all players with one yellow card are given a clean slate for October’s play-offs, UEFA has clarified that all outstanding suspensions must still be served. That means that Ireland must plan without the 26-year-old defender who has been an ever-present since making her debut against France in April 2025. But the plus for boss Carla Ward is that captain Katie McCabe, Megan Campbell and Denise O’Sullivan all have their yellow cards wiped ahead of Friday's draw. The Girls in Green will find out at midday who they must beat in the play-off to secure a League A spot for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Iceland the four potential opponents. Victory over two legs would secure the Girls in Green a League A place which would guarantee a World Cup play-off spot should they miss out on automatic qualification. But a loss would confine Ireland to League B, where there is no automatic qualification although a top three place - a likely outcome - would also mean a play-off berth.