LAST UPDATE | 5 Oct 2023
CAOIMHÍN KELLEHER HAS been ruled out of tonight’s Europa League clash with Union Saint-Gilloise along with Ireland’s Euro 2024 qualifiers with Greece and Gibraltar with a knee problem.
Kelleher sustained a cut to his leg in a training ground collision, requiring 12 stitches. Ireland boss Stephen Kenny explained that because the cut is on his knee joint, he has to sit out action for a couple of weeks.
“Caoimhín got 12 stitches in a knee joint, sometimes with stitches if it’s a calf, a thigh or facial injury you can get on with it, but you can’t if it’s on the joint, it reopens all the time”, said Kenny at a press conference around his squad announcement. “It’s unfortunate for Caoimhín really, he has played in the Europa League, he was going to play three weeks in a row, he was going to play tonight.”
Bristol City’s Max O’Leary has been called up in Kelleher’s place, with Gavin Bazunu set to remain as first-choice.
James McClean, meanwhile, was omitted from the squad hours after he announced his intention to retire at the end of the season. McClean is calling time on his 102-cap international career, and will bow out at next month’s friendly game with New Zealand in Dublin. He is on standby for this squad, however, and will be called up if either Liam Scales or Ryan Manning pick up an injury while playing for their clubs this weekend.
“James has had a terrific career and it’s not beyond possibility I’ll be calling him at the weekend after there’s injury and asking him to come back in and play”, said Kenny. “That is the reality sometimes when you name squads.
“Young Irish players can learn a lot from him, how he approached his career. Ireland was always at the forefront of his thoughts, it was always the pinnacle for him and it was always the most important thing, to play for his country. You had to respect that.
“From my point of view as a manager – obviously I managed him as a teenager, gave him his debut and then sold him to Sunderland. But people change in that period and obviously he’s a different personality. When I manage the Irish team because he’s in his 30s by the time I take up the Ireland team, so he’s a different personality.
“But if there’s any grey areas about who might play in the team sometimes and decisions are not made and depending on who’s available, he’s so forceful in his training performances, sometimes he gets himself in the team by just his sheer intensity in his training in the sessions.”
Two of the other contenders for left wing-back/left-back in the squad are injured, in Enda Stevens and Callum O’Dowda. Robbie Brady, meanwhile, has just returned from a lengthy injury lay-off.
Also missing out through injury are John Egan, Seamus Coleman, and Michael Obafemi. Bristol City’s Mark Sykes has been brought back into the squad at the expense of Jeff Hendrick, meaning Shane Duffy is the only member of Ireland’s 24-man squad to have played at Euro 2016. Celtic’s Mikey Johnston is back in the squad after injury, as is Cardiff striker Callum Robinson. Evan Ferguson has been included, having withdrawn from last month’s games through injury.
Ireland host Greece at the Aviva Stadium on Friday week, 13 October, before then paying Gibraltar in Faro, Portugal the following Monday, 16 October. They are effectively dead rubbers, with Ireland’s hopes of qualifying from the group effectively dead after four defeats in their first five qualifiers.
They are now in a holding pattern praying for a series of results across Europe earning them a spot in the Nations League play-offs, but those hopes are remote, statistically rated at 10%.
Ireland Squad
Goalkeepers: Gavin Bazunu (Southampton), Mark Travers (Stoke City, on loan from AFC Bournemouth), Max O’Leary (Bristol City).
Defenders: Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Festy Ebosele (Udinese), Nathan Collins (Brentford), Shane Duffy (Norwich City), Dara O’Shea (Burnley), Andrew Omobamidele (Nottingham Forest), Liam Scales (Celtic), Ryan Manning (Southampton).
Midfielders: Josh Cullen (Burnley), Jayson Molumby (West Bromwich Albion), Alan Browne (Preston North End), Will Smallbone (Southampton), Jason Knight (Bristol City), Jamie McGrath (Aberdeen), Mark Sykes (Bristol City).
Forwards: Evan Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion), Adam Idah (Norwich City), Aaron Connolly (Hull City), Chiedozie Ogbene (Luton Town), Callum Robinson (Cardiff City), Mikey Johnston (Celtic).
Fixtures – UEFA EURO 2024 Qualifiers
13/10 – Republic of Ireland v Greece, Aviva Stadium, 7.45pm
16/10 – Gibraltar v Republic of Ireland, Estádio Algarve, 7.45pm (Irish Time)
Updated at 15.03 with quotes from Stephen Kenny
