AS IRELAND BEGIN their preparations for Saturday’s World Cup play-off first leg against Denmark, Martin O’Neill has confirmed the loss of Richard Keogh and James McCarthy through injury.
The Ireland manager has this afternoon finalised his squad for the winner-takes-all tie with Keogh (groin) and McCarthy (hamstring) joining Sean Maguire and Jon Walters on the injured list.
David Meyler, meanwhile, is suspended for Saturday’s first leg in Copenhagen but is included in the 27-player panel which has reported for duty at FAI headquarters in Abbotstown today.
Keogh limped out of Derby County’s home defeat to Reading at the weekend and has been ruled out of the back-to-back games while McCarthy’s injury hell continues after he suffered another setback.
Preston forward Maguire was ruled out for three to four months on Saturday after undergoing surgery on a hamstring problem, with Ipswich striker David McGoldrick — who was in the original squad — now on standby.
Alan Browne, Daryl Horgan and Jonny Hayes have all also been left out.
O’Neill’s squad will this afternoon go through the first of four sessions before departing for Copenhagen on Saturday. The first leg takes place at the Parken Stadium before the sides meet again at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday 14 November.
Ireland squad:
Goalkeepers: Darren Randolph (Middlesbrough), Rob Elliot (Newcastle United), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday), Colin Doyle (Bradford City).
Defenders: Cyrus Christie (Middlesbrough), Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Paul McShane (Reading), Shane Duffy (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ciaran Clark (Newcastle United), John O’Shea (Sunderland), Kevin Long, Stephen Ward (Burnley).
Midfielders: Aiden McGeady (Sunderland), Jeff Hendrick, Robbie Brady (Burnley), Glenn Whelan, Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), David Meyler (Hull City), Harry Arter (Bournemouth), Eunan O’Kane (Leeds United), Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City), Callum O’Dowda (Bristol City), James McClean (West Bromwich Albion).
Forwards: Shane Long (Southampton), Daryl Murphy (Nottingham Forest), Scott Hogan (Aston Villa), Aiden O’Brien (Millwall).
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From the group of death to the first English team to win 6 group games. NICE.
@Paul Gorry: plus shout out to them young liverpool players tonight.
@Paul Gorry: Fair play to Ajax as well. Should be a good draw on Monday.
@Paul Gorry: I hate it when you’re happy. Don’t forget about covid and the storm
@Hugh Morris: I love it when you’re sad hugh. Not forgetting how could I?
@Paul Gorry: you’re old and senile
@Hugh Morris: fair point hugh I’ll give you that one. I think.
Everton have 18 points in PL.
Liverpool have 18 points in the CL.
@kenny mcgrath: your observational skills are impeccable, may I suggest a career as a statistician?
@kenny mcgrath: Looking at those figures people might think Liverpool were the Merseyside team spending like drunken sailors on shore leave.
Well done Conor bradley making his champions League debut #UPTYRONE
Not to put a downer on Liverpool’s win be jasus I was disappointed with AC, was expecting them to really go for it especially with the Liverpool line-up but they actually couldn’t get near Liverpool for long periods of that game. They look a very average side and yet they top Serie A…
@Ottomaaan: award two assists to that goalkeeper
@Ottomaaan: Commentators on both BT & RTE made the same point. Didn’t really seem that interested till about the 85th minute. Winning Serie A their main target or manager reckoned Athletico would find a way to win?
@Ottomaaan: Kind of all reverts back to the main issue in football. Money. The CL has become a competition where only those with the strongest financial backing will win it. Gone are the days of a Porto, Ajax, Marseille or Dortmund winning it against the odds. The past 2 decades of it comfirm only City, Chelsea, Liverpool, United, Bayern, PSG (and usually Barca, Real, Juve too despite being poor now) contest the semis onwards – the commonality being big financial backing. No hate either to any side, just reality.
@Ultan Corcoran: To be fair, the teams you mentioned are always there or thereabouts with regards to the last stages of the competition and money plays a big part of that. Over the last 2 decades though, 11 of the 20 finals in question have featured teams outside of the ones you mentioned.
@Ultan Corcoran: history or finances of the clubs winning or being in the final doesn’t back your statement.
@Ultan Corcoran: maybe surpass sporting Lisbon before you start with the finances of teams ahead of you
Konate is one cool customer…class act tonite!
@Hear me now: deffo he looked huge in that defence. At the same time I love Phillips nuff said lol.
@Paul Gorry: Phillips muff?
@Paul Gorry: nothing but love for this group of players
@Hugh Morris: whaaa?
@Hear me now: Everyone of them on the same page. A joy to watch isn’t it.?
@Hear me now: Said from Day 1 he was and is the better option to buy than Upamecano. Underrated > Overrated.
@Hear me now: Jesus he was marking a 40 year old steady on!
@Philip Mckenna: That 40 year old has 6 goals in 9 games for AC at the top of Serie A
Record makers record brokers…Up the Mighty Reds…Keep it going lads!!!
The quality around Europe is dropping on previous years.
@ChadChaderson: Agreed and have done for some time now, but one has to remember the financial backing isn’t the same as it is for the top 6 odd sides in the competition.
@ChadChaderson: The Italian teams are mostly gone to feic.
I know most people in Ireland love English teams and the premier league but money is really talking here. European competitions were great before where anyone could win. Aberdeen, Malmo, Red Star, then we had an era where is was predominantly fought our between the English, Spanish, Italians and Germans. The richest leagues. Still a degree a number of teams with genuine ambitions of winning the competition though.
The English premier league is now streets ahead of the other three financially and we are starting to see that on the pitch. Of course there will be the odd maga rich continental club like PSG who may intervene from time to time but the falling away of the Spanish and Italians is not a good thing for the game. I suppose a lot of people here will hardly notice given their primary focus is who ends up champions of England.
The only blot on an otherwise perfect night was that dreadful away kit. It looks like a McDonalds outfit…