Maguire out of play-offs as boost comes from Murphy
SEAN MAGUIRE has been ruled out of Ireland’s World Cup play-off with Denmark after suffering a hamstring injury.
The Preston North End striker will have an operation and is expected to be out of action for close to three months.
‘[Maguire] has suffered a similar injury to the one that has ruled out Greg Cunningham since the second week of the season and is expected to be out for an extended period,’ a club statement read.
‘The striker will join the likes of Cunningham, Tommy Spurr and Tom Clarke on a rehabilitation programme and the club wishes him a speedy recovery.’
Preston suffered a 3-0 defeat away to Ipswich Town yesterday and while it was far from the ideal way for former Cork City left back Kevin O’Connor to make his first Championship start, Ireland manager Martin O’Neill would have been pleased to see David McGoldrick get on the scoresheet for Mick McCarthy’s side following his own injury concerns.
With Maguire now forced to miss the double header with the Danes, O’Neill received another boost in the forward department after Daryl Murphy lasted 85 minutes in Nottingham Forest’s comfortable 4-0 win over QPR.
Murphy had been struggling with a hamstring concern of his own last week but he appears to have overcome the problem and will join up with the rest of the Ireland squad in Dublin tomorrow.
Callum O’Dowda will arrive full of confidence after he scored in Bristol City’s 2-1 win over Cardiff City, a result which leaves them just three points off the automatic spots in the Championship.
Shane Duffy’s Brighton kept a clean sheet away to Swansea City as they clinched a 1-0 win, while Burnley also took all three points on the road with a victory by the same score over Southampton.
Shane Long was introduced as a late substitute but he wasn’t able to produce an equaliser off the bench.
O’Neill will finalise his squad tomorrow as he prepares to attend today’s Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup final between Cork City and Dundalk at Aviva Stadium.