Evan Ferguson among Republic of Ireland’s injury doubts for Netherlands clash

Brighton striker Evan Ferguson is among a number of players who are injury doubts for the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2024 qualifier against the Netherlands on Saturday.

Blackburn’s on-loan Seagulls midfielder Andrew Moran could be in line for his senior debut after being promoted from the under-21s side as cover, as Chiedozie Ogbene, Will Smallbone and Jamie McGrath are also having their fitness assessed after undergoing scans.

Manager Stephen Kenny admitted Ogbene (hamstring) and Smallbone were the biggest concerns.

“They’re all doubtful. We might not lose them all but we might not have them all,” he told a press conference.

“We are monitoring their situation at the moment. Not all of them are straightforward.

“It’s not just about the scans, it’s about managing the injuries and so forth. We’ll see how that goes over the next couple of days.”

Kenny’s future remains a subject for debate as the team’s hopes of Euro 2024 qualification via the play-offs are remote and his contract expires after Tuesday’s friendly against New Zealand.

However, he insists he and the squad are blocking out the speculation “just by focusing on the training and the games”.

“The players are ambitious. They want to experience moments like playing against Holland in Amsterdam,” Kenny added.

“The players are very determined. I have been open and honest, my contract ends next week but that hasn’t altered anything.

“It’s business as usual and we will work hard on preparing well.”