GLENN WHELAN HAS emerged as an injury concern for Ireland ahead of their pivotal upcoming Euro 2020 clash with Denmark later this month.
The 35-year-old midfielder has 90 caps for his country and has been a regular during Mick McCarthy’s tenure so far.
A club statement said the Dubliner was suffering from a hamstring problem after being withdrawn in the first half of Hearts’ League Cup semi final with Rangers.
Whelan was regarded as one of the few Irish players to emerge with credit, as Ireland were beaten 2-0 by Switzerland in their most recent qualifier in Geneva last month.
The veteran midfielder is not the only Irish player who is doubtful for their home fixture with the Danes, which they need to win in order to qualify for the Euros.
Goalkeeper Darren Randolph is currently out of action with a thigh problem, and club boss Jonathan Woodgate has suggested he may be unavailable for the Euros qualifier on 18 November.
Meanwhile, Rangers set up a League Cup final with rivals Celtic as Alfredo Morelos scored twice in a 3-0 defeat of Hearts at Hampden on Sunday.
The Glasgow giants will face off in a cup final for the first time since 2011 on 8 December as Rangers aim to win their first major trophy since going into liquidation in 2012.
Hearts sacked manager Craig Levein on Thursday with the Jambos joint bottom of the Scottish Premiership and never threatened to cause an upset under caretaker boss Austin MacPhee, despite holding out until first-half stoppage time.
Swedish defender Filip Helander broke the deadlock from Morelos’s cross seconds before the break and Steven Gerrard’s men never looked back.
Morelos then struck twice in 15 minutes at the start of the second period to take his tally for the season to 20.
“I thought we were outstanding,” Gerrard told BT Sport. “We were in total control, dominated the majority of the game.
“Once the game opened up, you could see our quality.”
Morelos could even have had a hat-trick, but was denied by the offside flag after a cheeky backheel found the net for a third time.
Rangers had lost their last five cup semi-finals, but Gerrard believes his side are a different animal this season with Morelos in this form and Jermain Defoe backing up the Colombian.
“With all due respect, last year I knew we were limited,” added Gerrard.
“Standing today with Alfredo Morelos and Jermain Defoe, I felt different. We’re in better shape than 12 months ago.”
Additional reporting by Paul Fennessy
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