Aaron Connolly sidelined for a month with a broken toe

Aaron Connolly's hopes of an Ireland recall have taken a blow after a scan revealed he had broken his toe.

Connolly incurred the injury against Stoke City and is now expected to be out for a month, likely ruining his chances of earning a call-up to Stephen Kenny's Ireland squad ahead of the March international window.

Hull City manager Liam Rosenior confirmed the news this weekend, saying he would likely return to fitness by the international window.

"Aaron Connolly has come in, we got him up to match sharpness, then he gets an innocuous ball into his toe and he's out for a month," Rosenior told BBC Sport.

"It’s really frustrating. Aaron has been fantastic for us. I want to make sure he gets fit and gets right over the next few weeks and is back for the run in.

"I think you are looking at the international break for him to be back. It still gives him a good amount of games to make his mark, which he has done since coming in."

Connolly has impressed since returning to Hull after a forgettable half-season spell with Serie B side Venezia.

The Irish striker scored twice in Hull's 3-0 win over QPR, establishing a place in the starting team.

He last played for Ireland at senior level against Azerbaijan in September 2021, though did feature in the U21 playoff against Israel last autumn.