Republic of Ireland under-21 manager Don Givens suffered a setback today ahead of his squad's training camp at Bisham Abbey, England at the end of the month.
Arsenal's Graham Stack and Shaun Byrne of West Ham have had to withdraw from the squad. Givens has called up Daniel Connor (Peterborough) and Glen Cronin (Exeter) as replacements.
Givens scheduled the training camp as Ireland will play no under-21 international until March despite the senior team hosting Russia at Lansdowne Road on February 13th.
The eircomLeague is well represented in the 20 man squad with no fewer than five home based players included.
Brian Shelley (Bohemians), Kevin Doherty (Shelbourne), Richie Byrne (Shamrock Rovers), Robbie McGuinness (St Patrick's Athletic) and Robbie Martin (UCD) were called into the squad last week.
The team will train at Bisham Abbey from January 27th - 30th.
Yesterday, Chris McGrath, son of former Republic of Ireland international Paul McGrath, was included in Brian Kerr's Under-18 squad for the friendly against France on Wednesday, January 30th.
Kerr has also called upon four home based players. Belvedere's Timmy Clancy, Derek Donohue and Kieran Sharkey and Stephen Feeney from Sligo Rovers will make the trip to Marseille.
U21 SQUAD:Joe Murphy (Tranmere), Daniel Connor (Peterborough), John Thompson (Nottingham Forest), Brian Shelley (Bohemians), Jim Goodwin (Celtic), Brian O'Callaghan (Barnsley), Clifford Byrne (Sunderland), Thomas Butler (Sunderland), Glen Cronin (Exeter), Liam Millar (Celtic), Michael Doyle (Celtic), Kevin Doherty (Shelbourne), Richie Byrne (Shamrock Rovers), Robbie McGuinness (St Patrick's Athletic), Brian Cash (Nottingham Forest), Gavin Melaugh (Aston Villa), Paul Heffernan (Notts County), Joe Gamble (Reading), Ben Burgess (Brentford), Robbie Martin (UCD).
U18 SQUAD:Simon Cox (Reading), Michael McGovern (Celtic), Kieran Sharkey (Belvedere), Killian Brennan (Peterborough), Conor Keena (Coventry), Chris McGrath (Liverpool), Stephen Feeney (Sligo Rovers), Timmy Clancy (Belvedere), Glenn Whelan (Manchester City), Ian McGrane (Wolves), Darren Potter (Liverpool), Paul Keegan (Leeds), Stephen Bradley (Arsenal) Barry Cogan (Millwall), Alan Kinsella (Leeds), Stephen Elliot (Manchester City), Robbie Shields (Leeds), Derek Donohue (Belvedere).