Dundalk boss Vinny Perth refused to be drawn on the decision to play Chris Shields in the dead rubber game in which he received the booking that rules him out of Sunday's Extra.ie FAI Cup final.
2018 Player of the Year Shields accumulated eight yellow cards over the season and misses the showpiece clash between the Lilywhites and Shamrock Rovers at the Aviva.
Dundalk wrapped up the League of Ireland title with four games to spare on 23 September and questions were asked about the decision to play the 28-year-old midfielder in the game against Cork City earlier this month with the threat of suspension hanging over him.
"I don’t think today is the right day to discuss that, or before the cup final," Perth told RTÉ Sport’s Tony O’Donoghue.
"I’ll openly discuss it with anyone after the cup final. There is a difference of opinion on what Chris’ exact, let’s say, suspension is so we’ll move on from it.
"We’ve done without Chris this season; we’ve done without many big players.
"We’ve been decimated by injuries. We’ve had a ridiculous schedule in terms of our fixture list and we’ve got on with it.
"He is the best number 6 in the country, of that there is no doubt but like everybody in our squad, they are all replaceable.
"We’ve got here the hard way and we might have to win it the hard way. So be it, we look forward to it."
If Dundalk beat Shamrock Rovers they will become the first side since Derry City in 1989 to claim a domestic treble.
Perth added: "This group of players deserve to be in that bracket, it really cements their place in history as one of the great all-time League of Ireland teams."
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Follow both FAI Cup finals this Sunday via our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and the News Now app, or watch exclusive live coverage on RTÉ2 and worldwide on the RTÉ Player from 11.45am. Live national radio commentary of Dundalk v Shamrock Rovers on RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday Sport.
