Kelleher injury adds to Kenny’s worries for Serbia

STEPHEN KENNY has been handed a fresh injury worry ahead of next month’s World Cup qualifiers as goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher missed out playing for Liverpool due to injury.

With No 1 Alisson unavailable on compassionate grounds, following the death of his father in Brazil, it was expected that Cork native Kelleher would fill in and make his third Premier League appearance of the season away to Sheffield United.

But the 22-year-old was not even in the matchday squad due to an unexplained injury with Adrian picked to start in goal.

Darren Randolph, expected to start in the first qualifier against Serbia, got a rare start for West Ham on Saturday, in place of the injured Lukasz Fabianski, his first outing after a recent battle with a thigh strain, but Randolph’s injury flared up during the game, a 2-1 loss to Manchester City and although he finished the match, he was unable to take goal kicks with manager David Moyes admitting: “I think he felt the effects of his thigh again”.

Ireland’s third-choice keeper Mark Travers has been an unused sub for Bournemouth in their last five games, having been recalled early from a loan spell with League One side Swindon Town as cover for Asmir Begovic. Kenny is already without John Egan and James McClean for the March double header in the World Cup.