Irish FA puts block on Kyle Lafferty playing at Accies

The Irish FA has invoked Fifa’s five-day rule which will prevent Kyle Lafferty playing for Rangers against Hamilton on Sunday.

Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill said the Gers striker cited an Achilles injury when he withdrew from the squad at the last minute ahead of crunch Nations League games away to Austria and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Irish FA released a statement which confirmed it will block Lafferty’s participation in the Ladbrokes Premiership match against Accies.

The statement read: “The Irish FA has written to Rangers FC regarding Kyle Lafferty, who was selected in the Northern Ireland squad for the Uefa Nations League matches against Austria and Bosnia & Herzegovina on October 12 and 15 2018 respectively.

“As the player did not comply with the association’s call-up, the player is in breach and, as a result, the association is invoking the Fifa regulation (Fifa regulations for the status and transfer of players, annexe 1, section 5).

“This states that ‘the player is not entitled to play for the club with which he is registered during the period for which he has been released or should have been released pursuant to the provisions of this annexe.

“This restriction on playing for the club shall, moreover, be prolonged by five days in the event that the player, for whatsoever reason, did not wish to or was unable to comply with the call-up’.”