EVERTON HAVE CONFIRMED that midfielder Darron Gibson has dropped out of the Republic of Ireland squad with a knee injury.

The 24-year-old was expected to feature against the Czech Republic next week but has pulled out of Giovanni Trapattoni’s 26-man squad.

He would have been one of three Everton players in the squad, alongside Seamus Coleman and Shane Duffy, but the injury has ruled him out of the international friendly.

It is not yet known how bad the problem is, as Gibson faces further assessment from club doctors, but it could cause some problems for club boss David Moyes should it be a long-term absence. The Irish Daily Star first reported the injury earlier this week.

Everton’s derby game with Liverpool this weekend has been rescheduled for a later date due to the latter’s involvement in the Carling Cup final.

Moyes will hope he has the Irishman back in time for the match against QPR on 3 March as Gibson is yet to feature on the losing side since his January move from champions Manchester United, though Paul Green was a late addition.

He has played seven games and scored once, the winning goal in their clash against his former club’s great rivals Manchester City. Trapattoni has yet to call-up a replacement for Gibson.