Dundalk waiting for news on O’Donnell
DUNDALK manager Stephen Kenny will wait to learn the extent of the injuries to club captain Stephen O’Donnell and Karolis Chvedukas before deciding whether he needs midfield reinforcements this summer.
O’Donnell suffered a broken tibia in the 2-1 defeat to Waterford FC at the RSC on Friday night and will undergo surgery this week.
While the manager is refusing to rule him out for the season, the best-case scenario is an absence of three to four months.
Meanwhile, Lithuanian international Chvedukas hasn’t featured since a late eight-minute cameo in the 0-0 draw with St Patrick’s Athletic on Richmond Park on March 12th. An ankle problem has denied the 27-year-old a chance to make an impact in the League of Ireland to date and he will travel to the UK this week to have his ankle injury looked at.
“His ankle hasn’t been responding to the treatment here, so we’re sending him to London this week for a consultation with the leading ankle specialist in the UK.
“We will wait to see until after that whether we might need to add to our midfield, but there are only 12 matches after July, so this is the busy period.
“It’s devastating for Stephen. He’s one of the great captains of the modern era. He’ll have an operation this week and we’ll get a better indication after that how long he will be out for.”
O’Donnell’s injury had a huge bearing on the outcome of the game in Waterford, with Alan Reynolds side pouncing for two goals in the wake of that blow.
While natural disappointed at the nature of the goals conceded, Kenny admitted that it was hard on a human level for people to see their friend and colleague in such a bad situation.
“Some of those around it said they heard a crack. Patrick Hoban was sick and John Mountney and Michael Duffy were quite close to it too.
“It’s a hard one. We obviously should have defended them better, but you can’t be too critical either given the circumstances.”
Kenny was livid, though, at referee Derek Tomney’s decision to book Michael Duffy for diving on the hour mark after he looked to have been tripped by Dylan Barnett in the box.
“The defender has clipped his ankles. He has no reason to go down there otherwise.
“It’s incredible, but Michael has never won a penalty for us. I don’t know what we have to do,” he said.
In what is another busy week for the Lilywhites boss, he is preparing his side for an EA Sports Cup meeting against Bohemians at Oriel Park on Tuesday night.
Sligo Rovers will then visit Oriel Park on Friday night in the league, followed by the club’s first trip to the revamped Brandywell on Monday night to face Derry City (all games kick off at 7.45pm).
The manager confirmed that George Poynton would play against Bohs, while Sam Byrne will also return despite having to be substituted just after coming on against St Patrick’s Athletic on Monday night, having tweaked his hamstring.
Daniel Cleary, who was substituted at half-time in the RSC on Friday, is also a doubt for the Sligo match with a hamstring problem but will sit out the match in Derry regardless through suspension.
Stephen Folan should be okay to play this week after being omitted late on from the substitutes bench in Waterford due to a back problem.
“It’s another busy week. We’ve Bohs in the cup and then we play Sligo who have been very good away from home and drew with Waterford recently.
“I haven’t been to the new Brandywell yet, but I’m the longest serving manager in Derry’s history over two spells there, so I’ve great memories of the place. It will be good to see it, but it will be another tough game,” said Kenny.
The manager also revealed he was working to secure a replacement for strength and conditioning coach Graham Byrne, who departed the club recently.