It looks as if we will be relying on Glenn Whelan to staunch Serbia’s flow next Monday.
Martin O’Neill had several reasons to be cheerful after last night’s 4-0 stroll over Oman. Robbie Keane signed off with a goal, Jon Walters proved he could step up and find the net, Harry Arter was lively, Robbie Brady was outstanding and Whelan showed he could be an attacking threat.
Serbia are not Oman, however. Next Monday, Ireland set off on the road to World Cup 2018 and they will need Whelan at his tidiest, hungriest and most intuitive.
Following the victory, O’Neill confirmed that James McCarthy would miss the away trip to Belgrade. Not only that, the Everton midfielder is due to go under the knife to correct an ongoing groin niggle.
The likelihood is that he will be out for five to six weeks, all going well, and he now must be a doubt for Ireland’s October games with Georgia and Moldova.
McCarthy seemed to be carrying a strain during Euro 2016 and had two poor games against Sweden and Belgium. Instead of dropping him, O’Neill benched Whelan and backed McCarthy in the anchor role. He did not disappoint.
It is a shame, then, that Ireland must revert to Whelan as the holding midfielder but supporters can be assured that the Stoke man will give it his all during a daunting away date.
There was better injury news, though. O’Neill is confident Seamus Coleman should be able to feature against the Serbs while Brady and Walters picked up no more than knocks and should be good to go.
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