ENGINE TROUBLE
Hoolahan decision today but Arter is out
WHEN Martin O’Neill named 39 players a week ago in his provisional Republic of Ireland squad to face Wales in Friday’s World Cup qualifier, it appeared as if all the bases were covered.
Improbably, that’s now not the case. Instead, the Ireland manager will oversee training this morning at the national sports campus with injury already playing havoc in two specific areas — central defence and central midfield.
Harry Arter is a confirmed absentee due to a calf injury and he travelled with the rest of his Bournemouth team-mates to Dubai for treatment there.
Added to that, Wes Hoolahan is a major doubt with a thigh problem and a decision is expected to be made on his availability today after he limped off during the first half of Norwich’s win over Barnsley — they don’t cure overnight.
‘Hopefully, Ireland will realise it’s a genuine injury and he (Hoolahan) can stay here for treatment, although they obviously have the right to have a look at him if they want,’ said Norwich City caretaker manager Alan Irvine.
O’Neill has a preference for playing 4-2-3-1 or a midfield diamond formation with Hoolahan as an advanced midfielder, playing behind the lone striker. To lose him would be a huge blow as the Welsh will be wary of his creativity.
It remains to be seen what system, and selection, O’Neill reverts to, but at least Jeff Hendrick and the vastly experienced Glenn Whelan are available for the trenches. He can also call on Eunan O’Kane and David Meyler, although neither midfielder is noted for their creativity.
In attack, O’Neill is not shy of options, most of them seasoned as Daryl Murphy has just turned 34, while Jon Walters and Kevin Doyle are 33 — the trio all played for their clubs at the weekend.
O’Neill was dealt another blow when he was informed David McGoldrick is not fit — he could have played in the hole behind Shane Long — while Adam Rooney did not make the trimmed down squad after he was cut along with Matt Doherty, Darron Gibson, Anthony Pilkington and Stephen Gleeson.
O’Neill is also missing his firstchoice defensive partnership as Ciaran Clark (knee) has joined Shane Duffy (foot) in the treatment table, while the ever-willing Paul McShane is also absent.
Clark missed Newcastle United’s game at Birmingham on Saturday after which manager Rafael Benitez ruled him out of World Cup duty with a medial ligament injury. ‘He will not be available,’ said Benitez.
Clark and Duffy were developing an understanding after shoring up the defence in the last three qualifiers, all of which Ireland won. Both now miss out.
As a plus for O’Neill, Richard Keogh played 90 minutes for Derby against Nottingham Forest on Friday night and can slot back in to the team.
Keogh is likely to partner Sunderland veteran John O’Shea, whose experience should shade his selection over Alex Pearce, a club colleague of Keogh’s.
Almost 36, O’Shea’s decision to soldier on after the Euros is proving a plus for O’Neill. In the engine room, O’Neill is braced for even greater disruption to his plans.
Without the suspended Robbie Brady, who hit a treble top at last night’s FAI Internationals Awards for 2016, O’Neill has also been hit by fitness issues to James McCarthy (hamstring).
Brady, meanwhile, scooped the three main awards for Senior Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Goal of the Year.
It was the first time in the 28-year history of the event that any player completed a hat-trick of honours. Brady edged out his Burnley team-mate Hendrick and Irish captain Seamus Coleman in the voting for the senior award after an outstanding year in which he started 10 of Ireland’s 13 internationals.
Brady’s dramatic late winner against Italy in Lille in the Euros was adjudged to be the goal of the year — a move he started and finished with a rare headed effort.
Daryl Horgan, who has made a seamless transition from Irish club football with Dundalk to the Championship with Preston, lifted the League of Ireland Player of the Year award while promising Bristol City winger Callum O’Dowda, who has become a feature in the senior set-up, took home the Under 21 accolade.
For O’Neill, though, he has more pressing matters on his mind.