The Republic of Ireland will take a cautious 'wait and see' approach over Evan Ferguson's availability for Sunday's World Cup qualifier against Hungary after the Roma striker missed Thursday's home game with Portugal due to an ankle problem.
Celtic forward Johnny Kenny was called into the squad on Monday as cover for Ferguson. The 22-year-old has impressed under interim Celtic manager Martin O'Neill, scoring four goals for his club, while Ferguson has already contributed three of Ireland's four qualifying goals. Ferguson will continue his rehabilitation in the hope he can return for the second match of the international window.
Heimir Hallgrímsson's side sit third in Group F, six points behind leaders Portugal and one point behind Hungary. Assistant head coach John O'Shea said the Portugal fixture arrived quickly and that the staff always expected Ferguson's status to be finely balanced.
'Let's wait and see,' O'Shea said. 'We were hopeful for both games but the Portugal one is coming round too quick.' He also praised Kenny's confidence and O'Neill's willingness to give young players opportunities: 'If Johnny's doing everything right in training and getting the chance to show it
