Stephen Kenny has been left frustrated by the decision to extend Matt Doherty's red card suspension to two games which means he will miss next Thursday's crucial Euro 2024 qualifier in France.
The Wolves wing-back was sent off during the Republic of Ireland's 2-1 defeat to Greece in Athens and subsequently served a suspension in the following game against Gibraltar.
However, earlier this week it was confirmed that UEFA had increased the ban to a second game which means Doherty will be unavailable for next week's trip to Paris to face the 2022 World Cup runners-up.
It comes as fellow right-sided defender, captain Seamus Coleman, remains sidelined by a knee injury, leaving Kenny short of experienced and natural options available on that flank.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport, the Ireland manager said he felt that Doherty should not have received more than a yellow card in Athens.
"I was really disappointed with that," he said on the decision to extend the suspension from one to two games.
"To be honest, it's only a yellow card in my view, the incident. He's walked over and shouldered the player who's absolutely hit the deck and maximised the opportunity to get Matt sent off.
"Now, obviously, he's got two matches for that then. So it's incredibly harsh. We've had very good discipline. We haven't had any players sent off in a long time.
"I thought to get two matches doesn't seem fair really or doesn't seem consistent with what's happening elsewhere."
Kenny added that attemps were made to prevent Doherty from being ruled out for a second game but ultimately proved fruitless.
"I spoke to our legal team. We had several meetings on it but in the end, they felt we didn't have a case under the regulations to appeal it," he said.
"How it's two matches I'll just never know"
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) August 31, 2023
Stephen Kenny airs his frustration after Matt Doherty saw his suspension for the red card received in Greece in June extended to two games which means the defender will miss next week's qualifier against France #COYBIG #RTESoccer pic.twitter.com/22OIEw6Br8
Kenny has called up Udinese right wing-back Festy Ebosele who is uncapped at senior level for Ireland, while midfielders Alan Browne and Jason Knight are among the options to fill the void left by Doherty and Coleman's absences in Paris.
"We have a few options, not too many orthodox right-wing backs there, but we have loads of players who can play in that position and we'll make that decision on the night because they'll have not a bad player to mark in (Kylian) Mbappe on the night so we have to make sure we get that one right."
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