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James McClean now looks to be out of the opening games of Ireland’s World Cup qualifying campaign with Stoke City boss Michael O’Neill suggesting over the weekend that the Derryman will be sidelined for four to six weeks with a foot injury.
Stoke and McClean had been managing the injury with the 31-year-old playing despite some pain for some time but he has missed his club’s last couple of games and is now having to wear a protective boot.
“James has been playing with this injury for a number of months,” said O’Neil on Saturday (but has) had an injection on a foot injury so the time frame for him is four to six weeks.”
McClean featured in six of Ireland’s games in the autumn, starting three of them, but was sent off against Wales. He would have been expected to play some part in the World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Luxembourg.
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Stephen Kenny is already set to be without McClean’s Stoke City team mate, defender Nathan Collins who might have provided cover for the also injured regular, John Egan.
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