O’Shea, Long and three others to be assessed before reporting for international duty

Sun, 08 Nov, 2015 - 20:42

Martin O’Neill has left the door ajar for injury doubts John O’Shea and Shane Long to prove their fitness ahead of the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2016 play-off against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The pair were among a group of five named in a reduced 30-man squad on Sunday evening who are to be assessed by their respective clubs before reporting for duty in Dublin.

Newcastle goalkeeper Rob Elliot, who starred in Saturday’s 1-0 Barclays Premier League victory at Bournemouth despite nursing a thigh problem, Reading defender Paul McShane and Brentford midfielder Alan Judge are the others.

A Football Association of Ireland statement said: “Martin O’Neill has reduced the Republic of Ireland squad to 30 players ahead of meeting Bosnia-Herzegovina in the UEFA 2016 European Championship qualifying play-off.

“Rob Elliot, John O’Shea, Paul McShane, Alan Judge, and Shane Long will all be assessed by their respective clubs before reporting for international duty.”

Sunderland defender O’Shea, who is suspended for the first leg in Zenica on Friday evening following his sending-off in Poland last month, has not played since damaging his hamstring in the derby triumph over the Magpies on October 25.

John O’Shea was injured playing for Sunderland last month.

Southampton striker Long, who scored the only goal in the qualifying win over Germany on October 8, suffered a foot injury in Warsaw three days later and has not seen action since.

Goalkeeper Shay Given and forward David McGoldrick have already been ruled out by injury, while fellow frontman Jonathan Walters will also sit out the away game after collecting his third booking of the campaign against the Poles.

O’Neill’s squad will begin preparations for the double-header in Abbotstown on Monday afternoon.

Republic of Ireland Squad:

David Forde (Millwall), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday), Darren Randolph (West Ham), Rob Elliot (Newcastle), Richard Keogh (Derby), Marc Wilson (Stoke), Seamus Coleman (Everton), Cyrus Christie (Derby), John O’Shea (Sunderland), Alex Pearce (Derby), Shane Duffy (Blackburn ), Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa), Paul McShane (Reading), Stephen Ward (Burnley), Robbie Brady (Norwich), James McCarthy (Everton), Jeff Hendrick (Derby), Darron Gibson (Everton), Harry Arter (Bournemouth), Glenn Whelan (Stoke), Aiden McGeady (Everton), James McClean (West Brom), Alan Judge (Brentford), David Meyler (Hull), Jonathan Walters (Stoke), Wes Hoolahan (Norwich), Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), Shane Long (Southampton), Daryl Murphy (Ipswich), Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids).