SCOTLAND head coach Anna Signeul is resigned to the fact that she could go to next month's Euros in the Netherlands without four key players.

The Swede has not had her troubles to seek in the build-up to the nation's first major tournament since 1998 – and the first ever for the women's squad. Nine players were unable to travel to Belgium for a friendly in August because of injury, and worse was to follow when young Hibernian forward Lizzie Arnot and star player Kim Little both suffered training ground ACL injuries at their clubs.

Neither will travel to Holland and nor, after yesterday's squad announcement, will Manchester City central defender Jen Beattie. She damaged ankle ligaments on the eve of this month's friendly win against Romania at Falkirk Stadium.

A fourth player, Arsenal left back Emma Mitchell, is also doubtful. A place in the 23-player squad will be kept open for her until the end of the week – but if an assessment proves negative, Bristol City's Chloe Arthur will be brought in. She is the first player on the standby list and came on as a substitute against Sweden a fortnight ago.

The injury woes don't stop there. Another central defender, Rachel Corsie, has a knee problem and hasn't played for Seattle Reign in the their last two matches.

That also applies to captain and goalkeeper Gemma Fay at her Icelandic club Stjarnan, but Signeul was hopeful the 199-times capped player was going to return for last night's league game against Haukar.

Signeul hinted that concerns about Corsie could lessen Mitchell's chances of being included. The Arsenal defender has not played a game for club or country since featuring in Scotland's defeat to South Korea at the start of March.

“It's no secret that Rachel is also struggling a bit – you can see that because she's not playing for Seattle at the moment,” the Swede said. “We cannot go into the competition with too many question marks – we have to have fit players.

“In terms of Emma we need to take a decision this week and see where she is.”

With regard to Beattie, whose father and brother both played rugby for Scotland, Signeul said: “She had a scan after the Romania game, then did a second one.

“The Man City medical team say it's six weeks wearing a boot, then six weeks to build up – so that's 12 weeks.”

Injuries to so many key players have inevitably cast a shadow over the side's first ever major tournament. Little, Mitchell, Beattie and Corsie have been key members of Scotland sides for many years, while Arnot represents one of the very best of the new generation.

All the injuries have meant unexpected call-ups for central defenders Vaila Barsley and Sophie Howard. They play for clubs in Sweden and Germany, and qualify for Scotland through blood lines – Barsley's mother is from Shetland.

Neither had even featured in a Scotland squad before being drafted in as emergency cover for the Belgium game in April. Barsley, who is 6ft tall and an accomplished defender, started against Romania and Sweden as well and has been a real find for Signeul.

The head coach, like her players, still hopes that a supreme team effort could achieve their aim of qualifying for at least the quarter finals. In Group D they face an England side who are fifth in the Fifa rankings and Spain who, while 13th, are the fastest improving team in Europe.

Scotland are ranked at No 21. In between the England and Spain games they have a good chance of beating Portugal, who are the lowest ranked nation in the tournament and only qualified by beating Romania on an away goal in their play-off.

“We know that England and Spain are really top sides, that's for sure, but we can show passion and try do our absolute best, like the men did at Hampden,” Signeul pointed out.

“They are two totally different teams and you need to have two totally different mindsets going into the games. With Spain it's the mindset that you're not going to have the ball much, because you don't against Spanish teams. Against England we can hopefully have more possession.”

A positive for Signeul is that her players have ended their 17 day boycott of media and commercial activities. Hibs captain Joelle Murray said: “We didn't want the media blackout to overshadow anything to do with the finals – but we know, and acknowledge, it obviously has to some extent. That's why we're very much glad it has been resolved positively.

“Obviously we knew there could have implications on the back of it. That's why didn't want to go public on the details of the terms and conditions.”

On a lighter note, another player, Lisa Evans, says she hopes her side will take inspiration from Leigh Griffiths' two free kicks against England when they meet the Auld Enemy in Utrecht three weeks today.

“I was lucky enough to be at Hampden for the England game,” Evans said. “I haven't had a feeling like that watching football ever in my life. It was unreal.”