Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Irish left sweating on striker
SHANE LONG is expected to shake off an ankle injury in time for Ireland’s clash with Denmark on Saturday.
The Southampton striker sat out yesterday’s open training session at Aviva Stadium after shipping the knock against Chelsea last weekend.
Long has only recently returned from a toe injury having missed last month’s international games against Wales and Poland.
Boss Martin O’neill suggested Long would have a scan but said: “It’s not painful but his ankle is swollen and he’s not entirely sure why.
“But he thinks if he rests up for the two days, he should be okay.”
Cyrus Christie did not play in the end of session training game but only because he had played for Fulham on Sunday.
Last month, O’neill saw his striking options decimated by injury as Long, Sean Maguire and Scott Hogan were all ruled out.
Jon Walters and Aiden O’brien filled the void although Walters is now on the sidelines for the next six months.
Maguire has only played 15 minutes for Preston this season after recovering from a third hamstring injury in a year.
O’neill said: “My issues up front have been the same as they have been for five years. Honestly.”
“We had a rather older Robbie Keane and at this minute no one has proved themselves to be a natural goalscorer.”
Stephen Ward is out of the two games with a persistent knee injury.