Town boss Roy Keane says defender Darren O’Dea should have been sent straight back to Portman Road after suffering a knee injury in training with the Republic of Ireland last week. Instead the on-loan Celtic man was taken to Armenia despite having no involvement in the squad and ended up back in Suffolk almost a week later.
O’Dea suffered a sprain to his knee in training with Ireland a week ago on Tuesday and then on the Thursday flew to Armenia for Ireland’s first Euro 2012 qualifier on the Friday to watch from the stands as his side won 1-0.
Keane says O’Dea, who he rates as 50/50 for Saturday’s game at Portsmouth, should have been sent back prior to that game: "Having travelled all the way over to Armenia, he was then told he wouldn’t have a chance of being involved because they didn’t feel he was 100% fit.
"I’ve no argument with that, at least they didn’t risk him. I’m not arguing with the decision, it was when the decision was taken. It should have been taken before they left Dublin airport.
"They could have flown him back here but they tried to give him another couple of days to try and get fit for Andorra when he was never going to play anyway because I can guarantee that Trapattoni was going to pick the same team, barring injuries.”
Keane is equally disappointed that once the decision to send O’Dea back had finally been taken, the FAI took some while to organise his return: "The FAI couldn’t get a flight, I’m surprised they didn’t send him home on the boat, and he didn’t get back here until Monday lunchtime.
"So, a player who got injured last week we end up getting back seven days later. He should have been back straight away.”
The Town boss’s mood wasn’t improved by another of his left-sided defenders picking up an injury while with the Irish U21s: "Shane O’Connor’s torn his hamstring and is out for a number of weeks.”