Chiedozie Ogbene and Alan Browne’s injuries are a mounting 'dilemma' for Stephen Kenny ahead of the Euro 2024 qualifiers with Greece and Gibraltar.
Neither the Rotherham United attacker nor Preston North End midfielder were able to play any part in this week’s experimental training camp at Bristol City.
And they are in a race against time to feature in the Athens and Dublin double-header.
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Kenny was also denied a chance to look at Tom Cannon - the in-form Everton striker on loan at Preston - up close and personal this week after he cried off with illness.
Ogbene tore his hamstring in the penultimate week of the Championship season in early May, while Browne hasn’t featured since April 7 after damaging knee ligaments.
Ogbene still reported into camp this week on each of the four days, but was unable to take part in any of the on-pitch sessions and did gym work with the physios instead.
Browne is managing his injury through rest and was not required to attend the camp.
Kenny said yesterday: “These are dilemmas for us. Chiedozie got a hamstring tear with Rotherham and hasn’t been able to participate, so we’ll have to see how that is.
“Alan Browne is coming back from a medial injury and these are dilemmas for us. Tom Cannon has tonsillitis and hasn’t been here but a lot of players have.
“And it’s been an important week. We can set individual programmes and they can do all the runs and we can monitor them with the technology.
“But nothing beats actually playing football and setting the drills and the players can really benefit from that.”
Kenny won’t name his actual squad for the Greece and Gibraltar games until next week but was eager to bridge the gap between from the end of the Football League season.
The Bristol camp was only for Championship, League One and League of Ireland players and there was certainly an experimental look to this week’s get together.
Premier League players were not involved as their season has yet to finish, as have Matt Doherty and Mikey Johnston’s in Spain and Portugal respectively.
Once Kenny names his squad next week, they will travel to Turkey on June 5 for a warm-weather training camp before flying straight to Athens for the June 16 clash.
And the Ireland boss has not ruled out playing a bounce game in Antalya, although sourcing opposition has not proved straightforward.
Yesterday, Kenny said: “It was great to come here to Bristol City as it’s a terrific facility, very modern and we had it to ourselves. We found it very valuable.
“The Championship is the only league that finishes six weeks before the others, who play right up to the international window.
“The Greek players, for example, will be playing right up until the window, the Italians, Spanish and to a degree the Premier League players.
“Because the majority of our players are in the Championship, that presents a challenge that we have to take on. It’s a fine balancing act.”
The squad broke up yesterday and Kenny has left the out-of-season players to carry out their own training programmes ahead of the squad announcement next week.
Kenny will then dial up preparations at the Turkish camp in Antalya and added: “It’ll be important to replicate the conditions we find in Greece.
“Greece are a good team, they won their Nations League group, so we’re going to have to perform to a high level. We need to make sure that we’re absolutely 100 percent.
“Going to Turkey will help us by training for nine days in similar conditions. I think our preparation here in Bristol and in Turkey will give us a chance.”
IRELAND squad at Bristol-based training camp: Max O'Leary (Bristol City), Ed McGinty (Oxford United), Brian Maher (Derry City); Danny McNamara (Millwall), Callum O'Dowda (Cardiff City), James McClean (Wigan Athletic), Dara O'Shea (West Bromwich Albion), Sean McLoughlin (Hull City); Jayson Molumby (West Bromwich Albion), Josh Cullen (Burnley), Will Smallbone (Southampton), Mark Sykes (Bristol City), Neil Farrugia (Shamrock Rovers), Jason Knight (Derby County), Jack Taylor (Peterborough United); Chiedozie Ogbene (Rotherham United), Troy Parrott (Tottenham Hotspur), Michael Obafemi (Burnley), Adam Idah (Norwich City), Will Keane (Wigan Athletic).
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