Caroline Weir Ruled Out of Scotland's World Cup Play-off Final
Scotland captain Caroline Weir will miss the World Cup play-off final against Sweden, BBC Sport reports. The midfielder is recovering from a muscle injury that she picked up in the warm-up before Scotland beat the Czech Republic in Paisley about a month ago.
Weir plays her club football for Lyon in France, and she has not played for them since the injury. Her absence is a blow for a side that will need every experienced hand in a tie that could decide a place at the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil.
The Scottish FA has named its squad for the two matches. Aston Villa forward Mia McAulay is missing after recent calf problems. In her place, Newcastle's Beth Lumsden and Ipswich Town's Eilidh Adams have been added to the group, according to the Scottish FA, which announced the squad on Wednesday.
The play-off final is played over two legs, meaning one match at each team's home ground, and the total score across both decides the winner. The first leg takes place in Paisley on 1 December. The return leg is in Stockholm on 5 December.
BBC Scotland will broadcast the Paisley game, and BBC ALBA, the Gaelic-language channel, will show the match in Sweden. Fans who cannot make the trip to Stockholm will have a way to follow it.
Winning the final would send Scotland to the 2027 tournament in Brazil. The stakes are high for the losing side too. Europe's lowest-ranked play-off winner may then face an intercontinental play-off in February, a further qualifying match against a team from another region, which is the last chance for a place at the finals.
Sweden are the bigger name in this tie on the tournament's record. They have appeared at every Women's World Cup since the first one in 1991. They finished third at the last two editions, which is a sign of how consistently they have reached the latter stages.
For Scotland, the squad still has plenty of options, and the first leg is nearly three weeks away. Losing a captain and a forward is never simple, and the squad will have to find a new shape without Weir in midfield. Those who know the Scotland team will be watching to see who steps up in her absence.
Play-off ties like this one carry a particular kind of tension. Two games, two cities, and one place at a World Cup. The players are already counting down the days.
