- Young striker withdraws with knee injury
- Republic facing tough games against French and Dutch
- Idah and Keane on standby to replace 18-year-old
An injury to Evan Ferguson has dealt a blow to the Republic of Ireland’s hopes in the Euro 2024 qualifiers against France and the Netherlands.
Brighton’s young star, Ferguson, who had been in remarkable form, scoring a hat-trick in a recent victory against Newcastle United, suffered a knee injury during the win over the Magpies. This injury has forced him to withdraw from international duty, where he was expected to lead the Irish attack in the upcoming crucial qualifiers.
Tough fixtures ahead for Republic
The Republic of Ireland has a challenging schedule ahead, with an away game against France in Paris followed by a home fixture against the Netherlands in Dublin. These matches are pivotal for their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
The Football Association of Ireland confirmed Ferguson’s absence, stating, “Ferguson reported for international duty on Sunday but after assessment from the Ireland medical team, Ferguson has been ruled out of both fixtures.”
Betting Implications
Punters looking to bet on the Republic of Ireland need to assess the impact of losing Ferguson for two crucial games and need to look at the quality of their opposition and their current position in the group.
The Republic of Ireland find themselves in a challenging position in Group B, having earned just three points from three games. They are three points behind Greece in second place and a considerable nine points adrift of the group leaders, France. With only the top two teams in the group earning a spot in the finals in Germany, the pressure is on.
Without Evan Ferguson, manager Stephen Kenny will need to rely on alternative forward options, which include players like Adam Idah, Will Keane, Aaron Connolly, and Chiedozie Ogbene. Unfortunately, the Irish team has already been hit by injuries to key players like Seamus Coleman and Michael Obafemi, while Matt Doherty is suspended due to a red card.
The Republic of Ireland faces an uphill battle to secure positive results in these upcoming matches. However, football is known for its surprises, and the team will need to give their all to keep their Euro 2024 qualification hopes alive.
At the time of writing, Betfred rate the Republic at 14/1 to beat France. Unibet are offering 7/2 for them to beat the Dutch, despite Ireland being the home team. Qualifying for the finals also appears to be an uphill struggle. At the time of writing William Hill are offering 14/1 for the Republic to qualify.
