Luca Connell ruled out of Ireland’s Euro 2020 qualifiers

Bolton Wanderers midfielder Luca Connell is out of next week’s European Championship qualifying game against Denmark and the match against Gibraltar three days later with a thigh strain. The 18-year-old left the Ireland squad on Wednesday morning.

Connell had only been expected to be with the group for last week’s training camp in Portugal but at the finals of the Spar sponsored 5s National Finals at the Aviva stadium, Mick McCarthy suggested that he would have kept the teenager around the place after he had made a positive impressive during the few days away.

Instead, the injury picked up since the squad’s return to Dublin rules him out of Thursday’s training game against Stephen Kenny’s under-21 side and both of the competitive outings.

“He’s made quite an impression on everyone,” said McCarthy. “I’ve just seen him saying goodbye to the lads and every one of them gave him a hug; they’ve all taken to him and they’ve been telling him to get off and get himself fit.”