ASTON VILLA DEFENDER Ciaran Clark is absent from the revised 27-man Ireland squad for next week’s vital Euro 2016 qualifiers against Germany (8 October) and Poland (11 October).
The news is a blow to Martin O’Neill, with Clark performing solidly in the recent qualifiers against Gibraltar and Georgia.
The reduced squad features two uncapped players, Eunan O’Kane and Alan Judge, while Stephen Quinn (knee) and Harry Arter (groin), along with Clark (quad), are ruled out through injury.
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Everton’s Seamus Coleman, whose fitness has been the subject of much speculation, is included, though the team’s defensive options could be further limited, as Marc Wilson will remain at Stoke City for treatment on a calf injury, which will be reviewed by the Ireland medical team early in the week.
Should Wilson fail to win his fitness race, Richard Keogh, who played in the away qualifier against Scotland, would be the most likely candidate to start alongside John O’Shea at centre-back.
The other players omitted who were included in the original 40-man panel are as follows: Adam Rooney, Simon Cox, Anthony Stokes, Anthony Pilkington, Paul Green, Darron Gibson, Greg Cunningham, Shane Duffy, Rob Elliot and Keiren Westwood.
Ireland Squad
David Forde (Millwall)
Shay Given (Stoke City)
Darren Randolph (West Ham United)
Richard Keogh (Derby County)
Seamus Coleman (Everton)
Cyrus Christie (Derby County)
John O’Shea (Sunderland)
Alex Pearce (Derby County)
Paul McShane (Reading)
Stephen Ward (Burnley)
Robbie Brady (Norwich City)
Marc Wilson (Stoke City)
James McCarthy (Everton)
Jeff Hendrick (Derby County)
Glenn Whelan (Stoke City)
Aiden McGeady (Everton)
James McClean (West Bromwich Albion)
Alan Judge (Brentford)
David Meyler (Hull City)
Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City)
Eunan O’Kane (Bournemouth)
Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy)
Shane Long (Southampton)
Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town)
Jonathan Walters (Stoke City)
Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids)
David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town)
A key centre-back is absent from the revised Ireland squad to face Germany and Poland
ASTON VILLA DEFENDER Ciaran Clark is absent from the revised 27-man Ireland squad for next week’s vital Euro 2016 qualifiers against Germany (8 October) and Poland (11 October).
The news is a blow to Martin O’Neill, with Clark performing solidly in the recent qualifiers against Gibraltar and Georgia.
The reduced squad features two uncapped players, Eunan O’Kane and Alan Judge, while Stephen Quinn (knee) and Harry Arter (groin), along with Clark (quad), are ruled out through injury.
Everton’s Seamus Coleman, whose fitness has been the subject of much speculation, is included, though the team’s defensive options could be further limited, as Marc Wilson will remain at Stoke City for treatment on a calf injury, which will be reviewed by the Ireland medical team early in the week.
Should Wilson fail to win his fitness race, Richard Keogh, who played in the away qualifier against Scotland, would be the most likely candidate to start alongside John O’Shea at centre-back.
The other players omitted who were included in the original 40-man panel are as follows: Adam Rooney, Simon Cox, Anthony Stokes, Anthony Pilkington, Paul Green, Darron Gibson, Greg Cunningham, Shane Duffy, Rob Elliot and Keiren Westwood.
Ireland Squad
David Forde (Millwall)
Shay Given (Stoke City)
Darren Randolph (West Ham United)
Richard Keogh (Derby County)
Seamus Coleman (Everton)
Cyrus Christie (Derby County)
John O’Shea (Sunderland)
Alex Pearce (Derby County)
Paul McShane (Reading)
Stephen Ward (Burnley)
Robbie Brady (Norwich City)
Marc Wilson (Stoke City)
James McCarthy (Everton)
Jeff Hendrick (Derby County)
Glenn Whelan (Stoke City)
Aiden McGeady (Everton)
James McClean (West Bromwich Albion)
Alan Judge (Brentford)
David Meyler (Hull City)
Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City)
Eunan O’Kane (Bournemouth)
Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy)
Shane Long (Southampton)
Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town)
Jonathan Walters (Stoke City)
Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids)
David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town)
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Alan Judge Ciaran Clark CONFIRMED Marc Wilson Stephen Quinn Germany Ireland Republic Poland