Stephen Kenny looks set to have to prepare for the final Euro 2024 qualifier against the Netherlands without some key players.
Evan Ferguson, Chiedozie Ogbene, Jamie McGrath and Will Smallbone are all on the doubtful list ahead of the trip to Amsterdam, and the manager appears resigned to being without some of his preferred starting XI.
Ogbene has been the standout campaigner for the manager, while Ferguson is enjoying an excellent season in the top tier of English football, scoring regularly for Brighton. Smallbone has worked his way into contention as a starter, while McGrath, a long-term favourite of the manager, was impressive in his last outing for his country.
"We're just monitoring their situations at the moment and not all of them are straightforward," said Kenny, speaking at today's press conference.
"We reported yesterday and they were all scanned yesterday. Obviously, we have the result of their scans but it's not just about the scans, it's about managing the injuries and so forth and we'll see how that goes over the next few days."
"We won't lose them all, but we might not have them all, that's the way I see it. We will know more over the next couple of days regarding them all. We will have to wait and see,"
Pushed as to who the manager was most concerned about of the quartet on the treatment table, Kenny responded: "It is early. Chiedozie is finding it difficult, and we will have to wait and see in regard to Chiedozie, and also Will Smallbone as well. They are all doubtful, so we have to see how they are.
"[Smallbone] actually has two injuries, a foot injury and took a heavy challenge on his thigh that forced him off at the weekend for Southampton. We don't know but there’s still time."
Ireland’s Euro 2024 hopes are long since over, however, the manager will be keen to end the eight-game campaign with an impressive performance, considering his future will be decided following the culmination of the Group B schedule.
And Kenny said that he has no problem blocking out the noise surrounding his future with the ongoing speculation that his tenure is set to end following the friendly international against New Zealand on Tuesday night at the Aviva Stadium.
"I’m just focussing on the training and the games really," said Kenny. "The players are ambitious themselves, wanting to experience moments like playing Holland in Amsterdam and what goes with that in terms of opportunity that exists."
And as for the manager? Kenny said that he is absolutely fine with the current situation, while he appeared more concerned with the fact that he missed out on a day’s training as a result of the players’ Sunday schedule at their clubs last weekend.
"I’m fine," said Kenny. "We had seven players involved in games on Sunday, which meant that we couldn’t train properly until today.
"All the players have trained well, imparted some of the components of our game plan into today’s session but tomorrow would be the main session. We want to make sure that we are ready.
"I think the game against Holland at home, in the first half we were absolutely excellent in that game and we were probably disappointed that we weren’t 2-0 up at one stage, but Holland showed their obvious class in the first 20 minutes of the second half, showed their quality, but we were very much in the game for the 90 minutes and it was a very, very tight game.
"I think we should look forward to going to Amsterdam, they know that they can qualify if they win and that is a big incentive for Holland, but we won’t lack incentive going there and it is a great opportunity."
And one player who has an opportunity to capitalise on the string of injuries is Blackburn Rovers midfielder, Andy Moran, who has been playing regularly at Ewood Park this season, while earning the praises of the management team.
"He is quite versatile, Andy," said Kenny. "I have seen him play as a midfield player for Blackburn and he's also played recently on the left as well, wide on the left. At Brighton, he was nearly a second striker at times. He's just a good footballer and technically good.
"He has done well for Blackburn and the Irish Under-21 team. With uncertainty over a couple of players, we're delighted to bring him in.
"We called him up for the game against Gibraltar but unfortunately he picked up an ankle injury in the U21 international (in Latvia) so, certainly, we're delighted to have him in."
"I think for every young player, their ambition is to be a senior international and play for the senior international team, that is every young player’s dream," added Kenny, when asked was it a tough call to take him away from the Under-21 set-up.
"He was denied that opportunity against Gibraltar because of the injury, so to be involved in the international is without doubt his absolute ambition. We'll see how things transpire, but he comes into the squad for the first time."
