James McCarthy and Stephen Ward add to Martin O’Neill’s injury list
First-choice striker Shane Long was already ruled out of last week’s provisional squad with an ankle injury but the withdrawal of another pair, albeit unsurprising given their recent lay-offs, limits the Derryman’s options for a pivotal fixture.
Also ruled out through injury are Cyrus Christie and Stephen Quinn, potential replacements for Ward and McCarthy respectively, but John O’Shea is included despite his ongoing hamstring problems.
