Updated at 13.38
BRIAN LENIHAN HAS been handed a dream call-up to the Republic of Ireland senior squad.
The highly-rated defender will arrive in Malahide this evening as preparations continue for the Euro 2016 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Germany.
Lenihan, who has represented Ireland at U21 level, joined Hull City from Cork City this summer in a move worth a reported £200,000.
With Seamus Coleman set to miss both games through injury, the 20-year-old will provide some much-needed cover at the back.
Ireland boss Martin O’Neill said: “We don’t have any natural right back in the team at the moment so he’ll come in later on today and train with us tomorrow.
I’ve been speaking to some of the lads here at Hull who said he has settled in well and of course he’s delighted to be coming.”
Coleman has not featured for Everton since their Europa League game against Wolfsburg last month and O’Neill conceded that a soft tissue strain is all but certain to keep him out of both qualifiers.
Any faint hope that Toffees team-mate James McCarthy might be fit to travel to Gelsenkirchen appears to have been quashed as well.
O’Neill said: “I haven’t spoken to Roberto Martinez but I had a word with Seamus. Seamus doesn’t feel fantastic at the moment.
“There was talk about James trying to be available for last Sunday’s game against Manchester United but I think that was a long shot.
“At the moment, you’d say there is no chance of them being available.”
Veteran goalkeeper Shay Given is the other casualty from the 27-man squad named last weekend.
“He’s picked up a hip injury that needs some sort of attention and he thinks now might be the best time to get it done and get it sorted out,” O’Neill said.
