Northern Ireland defender ruled out of Nations League Play-Off double-header
Rebecca Holloway will not be available for the games against Montenegro
Northern Ireland defender Rebecca Holloway has been ruled out of their Nations League Play-Off double-header with Montenegro later this month due to injury.
The Birmingham City star withdrew from their game against Leicester City at the weekend after picking up a knock in the warm-up, which has now kept her out of the crucial games in Podgorica and Belfast.
Holloway, who has been capped 22 times for her country, has now returned to her club for treatment and has been replaced in the squad by Cliftonville’s Toni Leigh Finnegan.
It is a significant blow for Northern Ireland manager Tanya Oxtoby, who has named Holloway in every squad since taking on the role, and losing the 28-year-old will force her to rethink her plans.
Northern Ireland must defeat their opponents across the two legs in order to retain their place in League B of the Nations League for next season after finishing third in their group in last year’s inaugural competition.
The first leg is in Podgorica on Friday February 23 (1pm), with the second leg on Tuesday February 27 at Windsor Park (7pm).
Read on belfasttelegraph.co.uk
