Evan Ferguson will miss Ireland’s final World Cup qualifier on Sunday. The Republic of Ireland face Hungary in Budapest at 2pm, and they must win to reach a play-off for next summer’s tournament in North America.
Ferguson had hoped to recover from an ankle injury before joining the squad. He picked up the injury while playing for Roma against Parma on October 29th. Since then, he has been working to return, but he has not fully healed.
Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson confirmed the news on Friday. He said the entire squad is fit “apart from him”. Ferguson trained lightly the day before, but he did not strike a ball during the session. After speaking with Hallgrímsson, he admitted he would not be able to contribute at the level required. Because of this, he will stay with Roma to continue his rehabilitation.
Reports in Italy say Ferguson could return to the Roma line-up on November 23rd for their match against Cremonese. The club hopes he will be ready by then.
Ferguson’s absence is a setback for Ireland. He has struggled for goals during his loan spells with West Ham United and Roma, but he remains an important player for the national team. He scored in three of Ireland’s first four qualifiers and helped create early momentum in the group.
Troy Parrott replaced him against Portugal last Thursday. Parrott scored both goals in a 2-0 win at the Aviva Stadium. His performance has given Ireland a lift heading into the final round of matches.
Ireland now travel to Hungary knowing exactly what they must do. They need a win, and they will have to achieve it without one of their most talented forwards.