Lawal, Vale and McGrath add to Ireland's injury concerns

Ireland's players have gathered at Castleknock Hotel for the four upcoming Nations League games

Jamie McGrath was named to start for Hibs against Aberdeen but was withdrawn before the kick-off due to a calf injury. Pic: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire.

Ireland’s shallow midfield could be stretched further for their Uefa Nations League openers after Bosun Lawal, Harvey Vale and Jamie McGrath were unable to feature in club action over the weekend.

Lawal’s recovery from his latest injury wasn’t timely enough to be part of the Stoke City squad that beat Sheffield United 2-1.

Both McGrath and Vale were named in their starting line-ups, for Hibernian in Scotland and QPR, respectively, only to be withdrawn due to injuries sustained during the warm-up.

Hibs, who played Ireland newcomer Owen Elding for 72 minutes of a 1-1 draw against Aberdeen, cited a calf injury for McGrath’s absence but QPR didn’t elaborate on English-born Vale, whose switch from England was finalised in time for the World Cup playoff defeat to Czechia in March.

They were all named among the 26 players unveiled by Heimir Hallgrímsson last Thursday for the quadruple-header that begins in Kosovo this Thursday. Ireland have two controversial fixtures against Israel, in neutral countries, sandwiched in between by the visit of Austria to Lansdowne Road on October 1.

Facing a country found by a United Nations investigation to have committed genocide in Gaza has overshadowed this gathering.

Players assembled at their Castleknock Hotel base ahead of Monday’s first training session which, for the first time in history, won’t be accessible to the media.

Jake O’Brien reported in, having figured for a third successive Everton game. However, his appearance in the win over Ipswich Town was a stoppage-time cameo, replacing his former Lyon teammate Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

His fellow Corkman Caoimhín Kelleher will be without his injured Brentford captain Nathan Collins on international duty but does so, having kept his second clean sheet of five Premier League games.

Their 3-0 hammering of Chelsea keeps the side managed by Keith Andrews in fourth place during the break.

Jack Moylan was instrumental in Brian Barry-Murphy’s first Championship victory as Cardiff City manager by bagging a brace.

Joel Bagan, who joins Elding and Liam Kitching as the three uncapped players in the squad, also started the 3-1 win over Conor Coventry’s Charlton Athletic.

Adam Idah started in Swansea City’s 2-1 victory at Lincoln City, who had loanee Chiedozie Ogbene involved as a substitute.

There was surprise in Spain, however, when Ireland’s top marksman, Troy Parrott, was an unused substitute as his Real Betis side were denied victory by a late Deportivo La Coruna equaliser.