Soccer:Just two days after being called into the Republic of Ireland squad as cover for Shane Long, Newcastle striker Leon Best appears to have been ruled out of the forthcoming Euro 2012 play-offs against Estonia.

Best limped out of the Magpies 2-1 win over Everton this afternoon, a result that lifted his side to second, albeit temporarily in the Premier League table, after sustaining toe and groin injuries late in the second half.

The 25-year-old, who hasn’t featured in the current campaign, was drafted into Giovanni Trapattoni’s squad on Thursday with Long unlikely to recover in time.

While he is unlikely to start against the Estonians, with Robbie Keane, Simon Cox and Jon Walters ahead of him in the pecking order, his potential absence will leave the Italian with few options up front as Kevin Doyle is suspended for the first leg.

Best will join up with his team-mates in Malahide on Monday to be assessed by the Irish medical team, but the signs are not good. The former Coventry frontman’s wife is also due to give birth imminently, and that too could delay his departure.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew, who expects the target man to be sidelined for a couple of weeks,

said: “Leon’s wife is imminent and they are in discussions.

“He is desperate to play, don’t get me wrong. We have spoken to the manager and spoken to the medical team about maybe a bit of compassion in terms of him staying about today because she’s that close, so we will see.”

Trapattoni is expected to be without Long and defender John O’Shea for the play-offs, with the away leg in Tallinn next Friday before Estonia come to the Aviva Stadium the following Tuesday.