Friendly
05.03.2014 at 19:45 - Aviva Stadium
Republic of Ireland manager Martin O Neill has lost the services of three players following Saturdays fixtures ahead of the midweek match with Serbia.
Andy Reid, Kevin Doyle and Rob Elliot have all withdrawn from the Ireland squad for Wednesdays friendly in Dublin.
Nottingham Forest midfielder Reid underwent hernia surgery on Friday and is expected to be ruled out for up to six weeks.
QPR striker Doyle has a thigh injury which will keep him out of the clash at Aviva Stadium, while Newcastle goalkeeper Elliot has a knee problem.
The Football Association of Ireland confirmed the news on Saturday evening and O Neill has not called up any replacements for the trio
Goalkeeper Shay Given has been left out of the Republic of Ireland squad to face Serbia in a friendly in Dublin on March 5.
Speculation had been rife that Givens successful loan spell with Middlesbrough would bring him back into Ireland boss Martin O Neills squad.
But the 37-year-old has had to return to parent club Aston Villa, and has now received another blow by missing out on an international return.
Striker Robbie Keane has been allowed to miss the game in favour of turning out for LA Galaxy in their first MLS game of the season three days later.
"Our game against Serbia will provide us with great preparation ahead of the first of our European qualifiers in September."
QPR defender Richard Dunne is back, but there is no place in the provisional 29-man squad for Stoke midfielder Stephen Ireland who had also been widely tipped for a recall under O Neill.
"Our game against Serbia will provide us with great preparation ahead of the first of our European qualifiers in September," said O Neill.
"I enjoyed working with the players in November for my first taste of international football, and am looking forward to assembling the squad once again in March."
Ireland provisional squad: Goalkeepers: D Forde (Millwall), D Randolph (Birmingham), R Elliot (Newcastle).
Defenders: R Keogh (Derby), M Wilson (Stoke), S Coleman (Everton), J O Shea (Sunderland), A Pearce, S Kelly (both Reading), D Delaney (Ipswich), R Dunne (QPR).
Midfielders: J McCarthy (Everton), C Clark (Aston Villa), S Ward (Brighton), G Whelan (Stoke), P Green (Leeds), A Reid (Nottm Forest), A McGeady (Everton), A Pilkington (Norwich), J McClean (Wigan), S Quinn, D Meyler (both Hull), W Hoolahan (Norwich).
Strikers: S Long (Hull), D Murphy (Ipswich), J Walters (Stoke), K Doyle (QPR), A Stokes (Celtic), S Cox (Nottm Forest).
|
