Egan out for Greece clash as Kenny eyes up Celtic's Scales
Jake O’Brien and Liam Scales could be drafted into the Ireland squad after first-choice centre-back John Egan was ruled out of the next week’s Euro ’24 double-header against Greece and Gibraltar.
The Sheffield United defender limped out of Saturday’s defeat at West Ham United with a leg injury and isn’t expected to return until after the international break.
Egan shook off an injury to start against France and Netherlands last month, a pair of defeats which ended Ireland’s hopes of reaching the Germany-hosted final next year.
Cardiff City’s Callum O’Dowda is also injured and won’t be named by Stephen Kenny in his squad when its revealed tomorrow. The games also comes too soon in the recovery roadmap of captain Séamus Coleman.
Ireland and Greece meet on Friday week at Aviva Stadium in what is effectively a battle for third spot. Gus Poyet masterminded a 2-1 win when the team met in in Athens in June. The penultimate competitive match of Kenny’s three-and-half-year tenure takes place three days later, on Monday October 16, in Faro.
Corkman Jake O’Brien, who made his Olympique Lyon debut on Sunday, could earn a first senior call-up.
Celtic’s Champions League player Scales has been part of squads but is also uncapped. Kenny is due to watch the left sided defender in the flesh tonight when they take on Lazio at Parkhead.
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