EVERTON MANAGER ROBERTO MARTINEZ has downplayed suggestions that Darron Gibson is an injury doubt for Ireland’s forthcoming Euro 2016 Qualifier against Scotland.
At his squad announcement in Dublin yesterday, Martin O’Neill revealed he had received a text from Everton’s medical staff to say the midfielder had suffered a knock to his troublesome knee in training.
However, in his pre-match press briefing this morning, Martinez insisted there was nothing to worry about although revealing further assessments on the 27-year-old will be carried out today.
“Darron picked up a knock yesterday in training but I don’t think you can call it an injury,” he explained. “We’ll assess it today and I expect him to train today, so I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.
“The only two injuries we have at the moment are Kevin Mirallas and John Stones.”
Gibson is only working his way back to full fitness after missing almost all of last season with a cruciate injury. Despite featuring in both of Ireland’s recent Qualifiers against Gibraltar and Germany, Gibson has been limited to just six minutes of game time in the Premier League this season.
With less than three weeks to go until the crunch encounter at Celtic Park, the uncertainty over Gibson’s match fitness is another headache for O’Neill. The Ireland manager is already without Norwich midfielder Wes Hoolahan while Glenn Whelan remains a doubt having suffered a fractured leg in the 1-1 draw in Gelsenkirchen.
