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Football

26th Oct 2017

Jon Walters could still play against Denmark

Conan Doherty

In Jon we trust.

Martin O’Neill has not ruled out the possibility of Jon Walters playing against Denmark.

The Burnley striker was the hero of Ireland’s last playoff clash with Bosnia when his two goals in Dublin sent the country to France but injury has seen him miss a the latest batch of international games and he was provisionally ruled out of the playoffs too.

The Irish named a 34-man squad that will be cut before the trip to Copenhagen on November 11 and Walters was not among the extended list.

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However, Jon Walters has not been ruled out by his manager who is still holding out hope that he could yet be included for the Denmark games.

“I haven’t put him in this squad although he is making good progress and we’ll see what the next ten days might bring,” O’Neill said at the squad announcement on Thursday.

“I’ve spoken to him and he’s making good progress.

“Jon has played and he’s played this season. He played for us quite recently so we’ll see – let’s see what the next seven, eight or nine days bring.”

There was also a glimmer of good news for Seamus Coleman who hasn’t played since that horrific Neil Taylor tackle back in March against Wales.

O’Neill said that the playoffs have come too early for the Donegal native but, had they come in December a month later, it might well be a “different story”.

Coleman’s progress to get to that point in just seven months is incredible and really shows the metal that lines the man.

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