Derby County defender Richard Keogh is the only player to have been ruled out of tomorrow night's European Championship qualifier against Gibraltar after the Irish squad's final training session in Malahide this morning.
The 28 year-old, who is struggling to completely shake off a hamstring problem suffered this week, is now also rated a doubt for Tuesday. “There’s a bit of tightness in the hamstring and a scan has shown a little bit of something,” said manager, Martin O’Neil at his pre-match press conference.
“He’s feeling much better today but I wouldn’t want to risk him tomorrow, it’s come too early for him.”
The northerner gave nothing away about his team selection although the fact that he brought Marc Wilson with him suggests that the Stoke City player will again feature in a back four that will have to be revamped slightly due to Seamus Coleman's absence.
O'Neill complimented young Hull City defender Brian Lenihan on the way he has trained over the past couple of days but played down the prospect of him featuring given his lack of experience as he dismissed the idea that this game might in anyway be used as preparation for the more daunting test that awaits in Gelsenkirchen next week.
"We've seen their (opening) game and Poland are a decent side but they had to work very hard for their win.
“I think if you’d have told any of their players at half-time that they were going to win 7-0 they’d have laughed at you because even when they went a goal behind Gibraltar didn’t change their system, they had men behind the ball, they worked very hard and they were as honest as the day is long.
"Andorra proved to be worthy opponents for Wales last month, I know it was on a plastic pitch but they still caused them problems and Gibraltar may well cause us problems.
“We’re expected to win the game and that’s fair enough but we’re not a good enough side to be complacent.”
Wilson agreed, observing that on the basis of the video he had seen of the Poland game,
“Gibraltar are a pretty solid, tightly packed unit. That first goal might prove all important. We can’t get carried away.”
