DARRAGH LENIHAN is in line for a competitive Ireland debut after John Egan was ruled out of Tuesday’s clash with Ukraine in Poland.
Egan started against the odds in Saturday’s impressive Nations League win over Scotland having shipped an ankle injury in Wednesday’s defeat to Ukraine.
But he did not travel to Poland with the squad on Sunday for family reasons, and Shane Duffy is suspended after collecting a yellow card against the Scots.
Ireland boss Stephen Kenny has called QPR’s Jimmy Dunne in as defensive cover, with Nathan Collins, Dara O’Shea and Middlesbrough target Lenihan expected to start.
Lenihan only has two caps - the last of them in 2018 - but Kenny said: “Darragh is a potential starter for Tuesday. That’s the nature of international football - margins like that.”
Michael Obafemi was Ireland’s hero in the romp against the Scots but is in a race against time to play because of a groin injury he shipped on Saturday.
And Chiedozie Ogbene, who has also travelled to Poland, is also an injury concern having missed the Scotland game entirely with a groin injury of his own.
Kenny said: “We have to dust ourselves down and get ready for Ukraine and make the necessary changes that we need to make.
“It will be a difficult game and we have to regroup. Ukraine are able to rotate and they have a lot of quality in their squad.
“They won on Saturday (3-0 against Armenia) and they will bring more players back in. We have a tough task.
“It's our fourth game and we have to dust ourselves down, get ready for it and that’s what we’re focused on."
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