England manager Hope Powell could be excused for believing that the football gods are well and truly against her as she prepares her team for the crucial second leg of the World Cup play-off against Iceland.

After having to deal with the body blow of three key players - Katie Chapman, Kelly Smith and Angela Banks - withdrawing in the build up to the play-off, Powell was yesterday rocked by the news that the two goal heroine of the first leg 2-2 draw, Karen Walker, will be suspended for Sunday's return at St Andrews.

Walker received a yellow card during Monday night's game and, as she was booked in an earlier qualifier against Holland in April, the two cards mean that she will miss the decider on Sunday.

It is a bitter pill for Powell to swallow especially as Walker was the star in the Three Lions performance in Reykjavik. But Powell told the FA.com yesterday that she was more concerned for the ageing Walker who is approaching the twilight of her career.

"I think I was more gutted for her because she played so well in the last game and scored two goals. But what do you do? You've just got to get on with it. I think I was more upset for her than thinking about what next."

And Powell was also pleased with Walker's reaction to the news. "She's been great really. I had a word with her last night and she was very positive. As it comes to the game I'm sure she will be upset but she has accepted it's life, those are the rules and there is nothing she can do."

Walker was given the choice to leave the camp or stay but the veteran striker has decided to stay on, something that Powell knows will be important in the build up to the game and possibly beyond.

"We gave her choice about staying or going. But we felt it was important that she stayed because if we do get through there are things we are working on in training that carry through to the next game. And if she was happy to stay she'd be a good influence."

It seems that Powell has become used to dealing with major blows and she remained philosophical yesterday, accepting that the squad can only do their best and hopefully that will be good enough.

"The thing is we can use the fact we haven't got Kelly Smith, Katie Chapman, Pauline Cope could be out, Kaz Walker isn't playing. We could use it all as excuses but at the end of the day we are playing the second phase of a World Cup play-off and we will go out there and do our best. If that's good enough we will play France If it isn't that's it, end, over, finished."

Despite the absentees, it has always been the England management's mission to groom at least two experienced players to cover each position and the fruits of this policy are now being utilised. The withdrawals have handed opportunities to some of the younger players and Powell is now confident that whoever comes in is up to the task.

"I've always said that we need two players in each position which fortunately we are starting to get. They maybe a different type of player but certainly, positional wise, they can cope at the highest level... I'm not saying its 100% but its probably better than it has been."

The depth of the squad will be a key factor in Sunday's game as many of the girls worked tirelessly in Reykjavik and Powell acknowledges that some may start to suffer as the game wears on.

"I think going into Sunday's game certain players are going to be tired and we've got to consider the fact that possibly some players won't last the 90 minutes... Substitutions are going to be crucial as they always are. Faye [White] has just come back from an injury and we didn't think she would last the 90 minutes in Iceland but credit to her she did so we have to make sure we've got the players on the pitch and on the bench that can be shifted around."

With four key players already out of the match, it is crucial that Faye White, the newly appointed captain, lasts the course and her influence could well see the Three Lions progress to the play-off final next month.

This will be the first time that White has captained England from the start but Powell has no doubts that the Arsenal star will thrive in the situation.

"I think that in the last 12 months she has grown in stature and confidence and she is playing probably better than she ever has. She has worked really hard on her fitness, her fitness and her attitude are spot on...She is a bright girl and wants to do well and I think she will enjoy it and she will do her best. If she does that I'll be pleased."

With the match finely poised at 2-2, Powell knows that a low scoring draw will see England through. However, she was quick to point out the dangers of trying to sit back and soak up the pressure.

"If we sit back and think we can hold it I think we will put ourselves in trouble. We will go out to win but not foolishly and we will be sensible at the back. We need to take on our home advantage and be positive with it rather than negative with it. Iceland are going to go guns blazing and we have to ride that pressure and settle and then just go to win it. We're not good at sitting back and absorbing pressure and it's not the way I like to play and it's not the way the players like to play."

If England are to meet France in the play-off final then they will have to be far more clinical in front of goal than in the first leg.

The Three Lions had 20 chances in the first half and this tie should already be dead and buried but in the end it took an 86th minute strike from Kaz Walker to level the match. Powell is more than aware of this and is hoping that they don't live to regret the missed opportunities. 

"The players have got to realise you don't get any prizes for creating chances, you get prizes for scoring them. Hopefully it won't be a harsh lesson...Sammy [Britton] missed a sitter and couldn't believe it, we hit the post and hit the bar. I don't want to beat them up about it. If things don't go our way and we don't qualify it's a harsh lesson."

It is hoped that come Sunday the Three Lions can capitalise on the opportunities that will surely come their way - and if they do then it will be Iceland who will be on the wrong end of a 'harsh lesson'.

Ben Rice