Szmodics to miss Ireland's playoff against Bulgaria after ankle surgery

This latest setback is the most serious, sidelining him for the majority of Town’s run-in, a dogfight to avoid immediate relegation.

INJURY: Ankle surgery for Sammie Szmodics has ruled the Ipswich Town attacker out of Ireland’s Uefa Nations League relegation/playoff against Bulgaria on March 20 and 23. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Ankle surgery for Sammie Szmodics has ruled the Ipswich Town attacker out of Ireland’s Uefa Nations League relegation/playoff against Bulgaria on March 20 and 23.

Szmodics featured on all of Ireland’s 10 games during 2024 after spurning an approach from Hungary to switch allegiance before he’d been capped. He earned his Premier League move to the newly-promoted Tractor Boys on account of claiming the Championship Golden Boot with 33 goals for Blackburn Rovers but the 29-year-old’s £11m move has been punctuated by injuries.