THE IRELAND SQUAD trained in Abbottstown this morning before they jet off to the US later on.
After their car accident yesterday, Shane Duffy and Eunan O’Kane took full part in the session. The pair were travelling to Dublin in O’Kane’s vehicle when they were involved in a pile-up.
And although the Ireland manager admitted his fellow Derry men are “a little bit sore”, they luckily escaped serious injury.
“Everybody’s okay,” replied O’Neill, when asked about the squad today.
“The two lads who were involved in the accident trained. They’re just a little bit sore but they wanted to do something, so that’s good news.
There was just a bit of a pile-up. Someone further up the line stopped very quickly and everybody else went into them.
“I don’t think there’s anymore to report, other than that the two lads are okay.”
25-year-old Duffy was a regular in Brighton’s promotion-winning team this season until he suffered a fractured metatarsal in March.
The defender hasn’t played a competitive match since then and O’Neill will be looking to get him game-time in one or both of the upcoming friendlies — against Mexico in New Jersey on Thursday and Uruguay at the Aviva Stadium this Sunday.
“He came down to Cork and did some training,” added the Ireland boss. “He was fit and available for the last couple of weeks but the club manager [Chris Hughton] wanted to just leave it so he could get himself fully right for these games.
“I think it will be a good opportunity if he comes through that. We were a bit concerned yesterday but it’s good to see him training today.
“It’s very important that he gets some football in before the big game against Austria [on 11 June].”
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