EVAN FERGUSON IS determined to win his fitness race for Ireland’s final Euro 2024 qualifier in the Netherlands on Saturday night, with Stephen Kenny “cautiously optimistic” that the teenage star will be available.
Ferguson missed Brighton’s 1-1 draw with Sheffield United on Sunday with a back injury, leaving a question mark over his availability for the international window.
The 19-year-old reported into camp along with the rest of his Ireland team-mates on Monday, and a scan on the injury has given him every chance of leading the line against the Dutch.
“Evan has been terrific,” Kenny said on Tuesday. “He’s reported, he’s determined to play this week and he’s shown a great attitude, a brilliant attitude coming in.
“Having not been available for his club at the weekend, he could easily have been ruled out but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
“He seems to be really positive in his outlook and we’ll see how he goes between now and the weekend.
“But he’s shown a great determination to come in this week and want to play.”
Asked for his own assessment on Ferguson’s availability, Kenny said: “I’m cautiously optimistic. We’ll see.”
The Netherlands can clinch the runner-up spot in Group B and automatic qualification with victory in Amsterdam, while Ireland’s campaign is limping to an end, leaving Kenny’s future hanging by a thread.
“It will be a big challenge, an absolutely big challenge, we’re under no illusions about that,” Kenny said. “It’ll be a huge challenge for the team.
“We’d a lot of good moments in the game against Holland in September, we were absolutely kicking ourselves. We could have gone 2-0 up and to concede that goal after 20 minutes, from the penalty, from the counter-attack, we were kicking ourselves with that.
“They have players that can dominate a game, they can control a game, and they’ve a lot of pace in wide areas. They are an exceptional team but we must go there with intent and belief and absolutely with conviction.”
Kenny would not be drawn on the suggestion that a shock win on Saturday night could be a bargaining tool for a new contract when the FAI conduct their post-campaign review.
“Number one, I haven’t bargained anything, or made a case. More or less I’ve kept my head down, worked hard, tried to ultimately prepare the team this week for these games. Just focus on this game.
“It’s a very tough game. No point talking about implications, where are we if we win.
“I think it’s a very tough game. They’ve a lot of high-calibre international players playing at the highest level.
“We’ll get a real tough game on Saturday night and we have to rise to that challenge, and do our utmost to put in a big performance, and take that into the game on Tuesday [friendly vs New Zealand].”
– With reporting by Gavin Cooney
