Ireland's Evan Ferguson will be ready for battle this weekend, but there won't be any rush to include him in the Ireland squad, confirmed John O'Shea.
The Brighton & Hove Albion forward has been touch and go in the Ireland camp and has had to overcome injuries until now. The Meath native missed the last international window, and there had been fears that Ferguson would miss out again.
However, O'Shea confirmed in a press conference on Wednesday that Ferguson will be part of the squad for Saturday's showdown with England at the Aviva Stadium.
"Evan will be ready for Saturday," O'Shea told RTÉ Sport.
"He has had a couple of sessions with us and will have one full one again [on Wednesday].
"He's not been back long, and he's been out for a few months, but he's young enough and he's ready. He has shown that he's nice and sharp in training."
Evan Ferguson is cleared to play against England this Saturday! 🇮🇪⚽ John O'Shea confirms the Brighton star is fit and ready, though a final decision on his starting role will be made later in the week. #COYBIG #football #news #sport #update #england #ireland pic.twitter.com/rTCDImdOz5
— FOLIN TV NEWS (@FOLINTV) September 5, 2024
It is part and parcel of top-level football to slowly reintroduce players after long layoffs. O'Shea added that there won't be any rush to throw Ferguson back into the deep end, however sharp he is. The decision to include Ferguson will be made later this week, confirmed the Waterford man.
"We're also realistic in knowing that he's just back from a couple of weeks of training," added O'Shea.
"We've got to get the balance right. He's been sharp in training, and hopefully that continues over the next couple of days. We'll make a decision later in the week."
Ireland will begin their campaign on September 7 against England in a League B, Group B2 match. Following this, on September 10, they will take on Greece. The team will then travel to Finland for their next fixture on October 10. Just three days later, on October 13, Ireland will face Greece again, this time away.
Their penultimate match will be on November 14, when they host Finland. Finally, Ireland will conclude their group stage on November 17 with a match against England.
Republic of Ireland Squad: England & Greece
Goalkeepers: Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth), Max O'Leary (Bristol City).
Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Dara O'Shea (Ipswich Town), Nathan Collins (Brentford), Jake O'Brien (Everton), Andrew Omobamidele (Nottingham Forest), Liam Scales (Celtic), Callum O'Dowda (Cardiff City), Robbie Brady (Preston North End).
Midfielders: Will Smallbone (Southampton), Jayson Molumby (West Bromwich Albion), Alan Browne (Sunderland), Jason Knight (Bristol City), Kasey McAteer (Leicester City).
Attackers: Adam Idah (Celtic), Evan Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion), Sammie Szmodics (Ipswich Town), Chiedozie Ogbene (Ipswich Town), Callum Robinson (Cardiff City), Troy Parrott (AZ Alkmaar).
UEFA Nations League: Fixtures
07/09: Ireland vs. England, Aviva Stadium, 5pm
10/09: Ireland vs. Greece, Aviva Stadium, 7.45pm
