LAST UPDATE | 1 Sep 2019
MATT DOHERTY WON’T be involved when the Republic of Ireland resume their bid to qualify for the 2020 European Championships at the Aviva Stadium on Thursday night.
The Wolverhampton Wanderers right-back has been ruled out of the Group D meeting with Switzerland, as well as the friendly against Bulgaria the following Tuesday.
Crystal Palace midfielder James McCarthy, Preston North End striker Sean Maguire and Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Keiren Westwood are also unavailable for the double header of fixtures at the Dublin venue.
Ireland manager Mick McCarthy has subsequently handed call-ups to Manchester United goalkeeper Kieran O’Hara (on loan at Burton Albion), Fulham defender Cyrus Christie and Luton Town striker James Collins instead.
Doherty, who has been troubled by a knee problem recently, was absent this afternoon as Wolves suffered a 3-2 defeat away to Everton in the Premier League.
Afterwards, Nuno Espirito Santo confirmed that the 27-year-old Dubliner will undergo “small surgery on something that is bothering him” instead of heading off on international duty.
The Wolves manager added: “I don’t know [how long he’ll be out for]. We’ve been speaking about Matt for a while. What we have to do is keep giving him time to recover, let him get rid of the pain that he has in the knee and then get him back to fitness. Then he’s ready to go again.”
Having completed a summer move from Everton to Crystal Palace, James McCarthy had received his first call-up from Mick McCarthy. Maguire suffered a freak eye injury after being struck in the face by a ball during a Preston training session.
“I have spoken at length to James [McCarthy],” Mick McCarthy told the FAI website today. “He has recently moved to Crystal Palace and is only back playing. James is completely free of injury but the intensity of the Switzerland game was always going to be too much for James and we discussed that.
“Like James, Keiren Westwood will work away now at his club and we will see how they are before we go to Georgia and Switzerland next month.”
He added: “It is hard on the four players to miss out for a game as big as the Switzerland match. We have a 24-strong squad now with James, Cyrus and Kieran coming in and we will get to work on Monday.”
Republic of Ireland squad
Goalkeepers: Darren Randolph (Middlesbrough), Mark Travers (Bournemouth), Kieran O’Hara (Burton Albion — on loan from Manchester United).
Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton), Cyrus Christie (Fulham), Shane Duffy (Brighton & Hove Albion), Richard Keogh (Derby County), John Egan (Sheffield United), Kevin Long (Burnley), Enda Stevens (Sheffield United).
Midfielders: Alan Judge (Ipswich Town), Callum O’Dowda (Bristol City), Alan Browne (Preston North End), Jack Byrne (Shamrock Rovers), Jeff Hendrick (Burnley), Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), Glenn Whelan (Hearts), Josh Cullen (Charlton Athletic — on loan from West Ham United), James McClean (Stoke City), Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth).
Forwards: Callum Robinson (Sheffield United), James Collins (Luton Town), Scott Hogan (Stoke City — on loan from Aston Villa), David McGoldrick (Sheffield United).
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