Kenny admits ‘complex issues’ the reason for Michael Obafemi omission from squad

Macdara Ferris reports from FAI HQ

While Stephen Kenny called up a couple of new squad additions in Mark Sykes and Connor Ronan to his squad, there were a number of notable absentees for the upcoming double friendlies at home, in particular Michael Obafemi.

Kenny outlined his reasoning for his squad selection when he spoke to the media including extratime.com in FAI HQ on Friday lunchtime.

Obafemi

Injury concerns from the player himself meant Michael Obafemi is not in the squad as the Swansea City striker wants to manage his own workload. The player wasn’t part of Jim Crawford’s under-21 squad as Crawford said that Obafemi “sees himself as a senior player.”

“I obviously went to Swansea against Bristol City a few weeks ago and I spoke to Michael after the game and had a good chat with him”, said Kenny. “I had a good conversation with him this week as well, and he would have been considered for selection if he’d have been available. He wasn’t available for selection.

“It is a complex issue as the truth of it is that Michael has never played three games in a row before this year for his club, as far as I know. He’s not played three games consecutively in his career, and the reason for that really is because of his persistent hamstring troubles that he’s had in his career.

“He’s been dogged with hamstring issues. He’s such an explosive player, and also the competition at Southampton as well which was very heavy. He's found a manager who believes in him in Russell Martin. He has played him this season. Michael has managed to stay fit and looked a real threat in recent weeks. Got two very good goals against Coventry.

“It’s been a heavy load for him. I think there’s a degree of anxiety around Michael himself about being injured. He’s never had a run of games, and he feels his load is so heavy, he’s concerned about re-injuring coming into the international team and trying to train every day and play and play again.

“He feels he needs to spend time with the physio to make sure he can continue in the vein of form.

“But he reiterated his commitment to Ireland. He wants to play for Ireland, certain that he wants to play for Ireland, but just the degree of anxiety he feels around coming in this week with his injury load, that’s why he’s not involved.” 

Connolly

Middlesbrough’s Aaron Connolly and Jamie McGrath were a couple of other absentees that Kenny was asked about on Friday.

“Aaron missed the Spurs game last week with a heal injury. He hasn't been training but he has played with a degree of pain. He has not been able to train and is just getting through matches - and scored the other night. He feels he needs to sort his heel issue out.”

McGrath

For Jamie McGrath, Kenny said that his move from St. Mirren to Wigan “hasn’t gone to plan for him” and that factored into the omission of the former Dundalk player. 

“I just haven’t selected Jamie. It’s a tough call as he has been really excellent for us. But his move hasn’t gone to plan for him, he’s not been featuring at all for Wigan and even been omitted from the squad on occasions.

“It’s not really his problem, he was in great form and doing well, but came into a team that was consistently winning and they just haven’t made the changes and he’s paid the price for that. My concern is not that he hasn’t been playing recently, but going forward, he may not play between now and June.

"So if I included him here and didn't look at other players, he may not play for six months, and then I haven’t looked at how the other players in our squad. So that’s the consideration and thought process on that.”

Sykes

The new players that Kenny has brought in are Sykes and Ronan who will get a chance to impress in training and on the pitch at some stage over the two friendlies against Belgium and Lithuania.

“Mark Sykes has had a terrific season at Oxford. In the last couple of years has done very well. He was traditionally a central midfielder early in his career and has been used in a wide position in 4-3-3 in the right and left for Oxford. We feel in our system 3-4-2-1 with the number 10s that he could play in one of those two 10 positions quite easily.

He is adaptive and can play wide or central. In recent weeks, he has played wing back as that was the need of the team. We see him playing further up the pitch and he has improved.

Honoured, a proud day for me and my family https://t.co/BFeS3FLZd2

— Connor Ronan (@ConnorRonan10) March 18, 2022

Ronan

“For Connor it is the road less travelled for him. He has been brilliant with the under-21 team and went to the Slovakia and Grasshoppers of Zurich where he broke his metatarsal and that hindered his progress. He has gone to Scotland and scored some spectacular goals (for St. Mirren). 

“We can look at Mark and Conor at close quarters ahead of the Nationa League. This increases our options in those positions.”

Duffy

Kenny alluded to the rich talents he has at his disposal in the goalkeeping position but also is thankful for the return to club action for some of his defenders including Matt Doherty and Shane Duffy. 

“It is good for Shane to get back as he had COVID-19 and then an ankle operation so that ruled him out for well over a month. He had not games during that period and played one game and got left out again. It was good for him to play two games recently and the other night. A big man like that needs to be playing regularly and certainly he needs that for his own rhythm. 

Doherty

“Matt has done brilliantly to get back into the (Spurs) team. It is very competitive with international players. We don't have too many players playing in the Premier League and when they are at top clubs like Tottenham it is terrific for our players to be at that level.

“He has persevered and dealt with the setbacks, knuckled down, worked hard, kept his head down and has earned his place in the team.”

The Ireland squad in full:

Stephen Kenny selects squad for upcoming friendlies https://t.co/BKGhr1ov1tpic.twitter.com/CnxvbSLPii

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) March 18, 2022