It’s a good thing Roberto Martinez is not carrying out this morning’s assessment.
If he was there would be no hope of Séamus Coleman featuring against Germany on Thursday or, most likely, Poland on Sunday either.
As it is the FAI’s medical team will examine the full-back’s hamstring injury in Dublin today before ruling him out of the penultimate Euro 2016 qualifier against the world champions at the Aviva.
However having missed the last four Everton matches, including Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool, Toffees manager Martinez does not think the Killybegs native can play any part on Thursday.
“Séamus was desperate to play today and desperate to play for Ireland but medically he wasn’t ready,” said Martinez after the Merseyside derby.
“I don’t know how long it is going to take. I doubt it will be two or three days and he will be fine.
“I think it is going to be a bit longer than that. We are going to work with Ireland and hopefully get Séamus on the pitch as quick as we can,” added Martinez, who has had a number of run-ins with the Irish management regarding the fitness of Coleman, Aiden McGeady, James McCarthy and Darron Gibson.
Derby defender Cyrus Christie is favourite to replace Coleman in a defence that will also be without Ciaran Clark and Marc Wilson – who has stayed in Stoke to receive treatment before hopefully meeting up with the squad for the trip to Warsaw.
Such threadbare cover is a concern for Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill who, in Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller, must prepare for the two of Europe’s most in-form attackers.
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