Gavin Cooney reports from FAI HQ, Abbottstown

HAVING DEALT WITH fallouts to a motivational video, an errant flight seating plan, the unconnected departure of several key members of staff, and the baffling disruptions of a pandemic, Stephen Kenny today got on with the traditional Irish managerial business of taking questions on an excluded player. 

The latest cause célèbre is striker Michael Obafemi, who was left out of today’s Ireland squad for the friendlies with Belgium and Lithuania in spite of his good form for Swansea City. Obafemi has six goals in his last nine games but wasn’t named today and hasn’t ever been named in Kenny’s squad since his former Irish U21 boss took the big job. 

Obafemi took exception to being omitted from Kenny’s very first squad in September 2020 – tweeting his swiftly-deleted disapproval – and was in the headlines this week when U21 manager Jim Crawford revealed he hadn’t been named in his squad as he “sees himself as a senior player.” 

As it transpires, Obafemi was in contention for this Irish squad but elected not to commit, citing an anxiety over increasing the workload on his fragile hamstrings. This spell at Swansea is Obafemi’s first consistent run of appearances in his senior career, having been dogged by muscle injuries since bursting on the scene in 2018. 

“I obviously went to Swansea v Bristol City a few weeks ago: Cyrus Christie scored that day, Michael scored, and I spoke to Michael after the game”, said Kenny to media today. 

“I had a good chat with him after the game and had a good conversation with him this week as well, and he would have been considered for selection if he’d have been available. He wasn’t available for selection.

“The truth of it is that Michael has never played three games in a row before this year for his club, as far as I know. He’s not played three games consecutively in his career, and the reason for that really is because of his persistent hamstring troubles he’s had in his career.

“He’s been dogged with hamstring issues. He’s such an explosive player, and also the competition at Southampton as well which was very heavy.

“It’s been a heavy load for him. I think there’s a degree of anxiety around Michael himself about being injured. He’s never had what he’s had before, a run of games, and he feels his load is so heavy, he’s concerned about re-injuring coming into the international team and trying to train every day and play and play again.

“He feels he needs to spend time with the physios to make sure he can continue in the vein of form.

“But he reiterated his commitment to Ireland. He wants to play for Ireland, certain that he wants to play for Ireland, but just the degree of anxiety he feels around coming in this week with his injury load, that’s why he’s not considered.” 

Aaron Connolly is another Irish striker to find regular gametime in the Championship of late – with Middlesbrough – yet he hasn’t been included either. Like Obafemi, he has not made himself available for selection as he nurses a heel problem. 

“He has not been able to train, he’s been getting through matches and he scored the other night”, said Kenny. “We’re not in a position to let him come in for a week and not train and maybe play. He himself feels he needs to sort his heel out and the medical people want him to sort his heel issue out.” 

Jamie McGrath is another notable absentee, though his is purely a selection decision as he has struggled to make an impact at Wigan, since his move from St Mirren in January. 

“I just haven’t selected Jamie. It’s a tough call as hes been really excellent for us. But his move hasn’t gone to plan for him, he’s not been featuring for Wigan and even been omitted from the squad on occasions.

“It’s not really his problem, he was in great form and doing well, but came into a team that was consistently winning and they just haven’t made the changes and he’s paid the price for that. My concern is not that he hasn’t been playing recently, but going forward, he may not play between now and June. So if I included him here, he may not play for six months, and I haven’t looked at how the other players in our squad do. So that’s the thought process on that.”

There are first call-ups for Connor Ronan of St Mirren and Mark Sykes of Oxfrod, both of whom Kenny sees as options for the two No.10 positions, either side of the central striker, in his current system. 

Meanwhile, Kenny says he expects to make an announcement on a replacement for coach Anthony Barry in the next couple of days. 

Ireland face Belgium at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow week, 26 March, and then play Lithuania the following Tuesday. 

Republic of Ireland Squad

Goalkeepers: Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Gavin Bazunu (Portsmouth, on loan from Manchester City), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth)

Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Ryan Manning (Swansea City), James McClean (Wigan Athletic), Shane Duffy (Brighton and Hove Albion), John Egan (Sheffield United), Nathan Collins (Burnley), Dara O’Shea (West Bromwich Albion), Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers).