Evan Ferguson has given Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson a major boost ahead of his first game in charge of the Republic as the Brighton striker has reported for duty. But Lee Carsley’s England are facing a mourning injury situation with Phil Foden likely to join Jude Bellingham on the absent list.
The Nations League tie is England’s first competitive game in Dublin since 1990 but the fixture is not yet sold out with some tickets, priced from €120 up, remaining on sale.
Ferguson underwent surgery after a season-ending injury last term and continued his rehab during the Seagulls’ pre-season programme but he has not featured for the side in any of their four games this season. A planned outing off the bench in last week’s League Cup tie against Crawley Town was scuppered when Matt O’Riley suffered an injury, reducing the substitute options for manager Fabian Huerzeler. “We wanted Evan to play but we couldn’t manage it because of the substitutions. He’s a good boy, he wants to play,” said Huerzeler, who did not add Ferguson to the squad for their weekend Premier League draw with Arsenal.
But Brighton still released Ferguson for international duty and it was a major coup for Hallgrímsson to have Ferguson in Dublin for a first training session yesterday, with uncapped Leicester City attacker Kasey McAteer also involved as he presses for a debut against England, although he’s more likely to make an impact off the bench.
England are missing Real Madrid star Bellingham and Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola suggested that Foden was also touch and go for international duty. Asked if Foden would report for duty, Guardiola said: “I don’t think so, right now. I don’t know but he doesn’t feel well, otherwise he would be here. But it’s the national teams which decide. He doesn’t feel good in the stomach and has a little virus, but the people said that after the antibiotics he will be fine.”
Liam Scales and Adam Idah bounded into the Ireland camp on a high from their roles in Celtic’s clinical dismissal of Rangers on Sunday while Troy Parrott’s confidence is also high as he and his AZ Alkmaar teammates continue their good start to the league season, Parrott starting in a 3-0 league win on Friday night which has AZ in second place in the table.
