The 26-year-old has made 23 appearances for Ireland since being handed his debut by former manager Martin O’Neill in May 2016 in a 2-1 defeat to Belarus.

The Oxford-born Republic of Ireland player has yet to complete the full 90 minutes under Kenny and has only played for the side five times under their current boss.

O’Dowda is line to make his first appearance for the national side in a year – the Bristol City winger has featured for Stephen Kenny’s team since the 1-0 defeat to Wales in the UEFA Nations League last November.

Cardiff City forward James Collins will miss out on a 15th appearance for the national team and an 11th since Stephen Kenny took the reins.

O’Dowda has been a bit-part player for Bristol City so far this season, making only seven appearances in the EFL Championship and playing for only 278 minutes – 90 of which came in his most recent game for the Robins against Coventry.

Ireland Squad v Portugal and Luxembourg

Goalkeepers: Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Gavin Bazunu (Portsmouth, on loan from Manchester City), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth).
Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Ryan Manning (Swansea City), Enda Stevens (Sheffield United), James McClean (Wigan Athletic), Shane Duffy (Brighton and Hove Albion), John Egan (Sheffield United), Andrew Omobamidele (Norwich City), Nathan Collins (Burnley).
Midfielders: Conor Hourihane (Sheffield United, on loan from Aston Villa), Josh Cullen (Anderlecht), Jeff Hendrick (Newcastle United), Jason Knight (Derby County), Jayson Molumby (West Bromwich Albion, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion), Alan Browne (Preston North End), Jamie McGrath (St. Mirren).
Forwards: Callum Robinson (West Bromwich Albion), Troy Parrott (MK Dons, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Adam Idah (Norwich City), Callum O’Dowda (Bristol City), Will Keane (Wigan Athletic), Chiedozie Ogbene (Rotherham United), Daryl Horgan (Wycombe Wanderers).

Fixtures – FIFA 2022 World Cup Qualifying

11/11 – Republic of Ireland v Portugal – Aviva Stadium, 7.45 pm
14/11 – Luxembourg v Republic of Ireland – Stade de Luxembourg, 7.45pm

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The Gunners had another positive evening after they beat Leeds United at home yesterday. They ran out 2-0 winners in the Round four tie after Eddie Nketiah and Calum Chambers goals.

It was not all good news for the London club as they sustained some injury problems during the game.

Arsenal since losing to Manchester City 5-0 at the Etihad: WWWWDDWW pic.twitter.com/ESFvTgvYho

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 26, 2021

Ben White

The Red’s marquee defender White was taken off after 55 minutes in their impressive Cup win. He was eventually replaced with the team’s goalscorer Chambers who scored with virtually his first touch.

After the game, manager Arteta spoke to the press about White. He said that the English defender had come down with an illness but assured fans that the bug had not spread amongst the rest of the team.

Pablo Mari

Mari also missed out on being part of the squad due to illness. It has been confirmed that the illness is not Covid-19 even though the Spaniard has not been in the squad since the 18th of September.

Martin Odegaard

Although the type of injury that the Norweigan sustained has not been specified, Arteta said that he picked up a small knock in training. He also said that the player will hopefully be back in time for their weekend game against Leicester.

Kieren Tierney

Tierney is another of the Arsenal injury listed defenders. The Scotsman continues to recover from a bruised ankle that he picked up during training.

The left-back is expected to miss out on another week of football before returning to the pitch.

Granit Xhaka

The former Arsenal captain is on the long road to recovery. He sustained a major knee injury while playing last month.

He is still expected to miss out on the next three months of football before making a return in the New Year.

"It was incredible to see a full stadium again on a Tuesday night. Thank you so much for supporting the team. It makes a huge difference to have the fans on-board and let's continue!"

@M8Arteta #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/xVy2F9Afk5

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 26, 2021

To read more in-depth and up-to-date Premier League and international club football news, click here.

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The Good News

Manager Thomas Tuchel may need to keep an eye on the Chelsea injury list as he makes his team selection for Saturday. The club has officially announced that their star midfielder Ngolo Kante and young defender Reece James have returned to training.

The French box-to-box midfielder had to isolate after testing positive for Covid-19 before Chelsea’s game against Manchester City. This also led to him missing out on international duty with France. This rest has allowed him to return his fitness at the Chelsea training ground.

As for James, he suffered an ankle injury while playing the match against City. After missing England’s two World Cup qualifier matches, the club has confirmed that he has left the swimming pool and joined his teammates on the pitch.

Reece and Kante at training

pic.twitter.com/eP59VBw8u2

— Chelsea FC USA (@ChelseaFCinUSA) October 12, 2021

The Not so Good News

The Blues still have some concerns going into the weekend. Their main centre half this season Antonio Rudiger had to sit out of Germany’s thrashing of North Macedonia.

Although German coach Hansi Flick said that Rudiger’s back injury was not serious, it will be something that Stamford Bridge will need to keep an eye on.

Another problem for Chelsea is their American winger, Christian Pulisic. The former Dortmund player has not featured much since the opening game of the season. This is mainly due to a positive Covid-19 test and an ankle injury. There is hope in the camp that he will return to training in the coming weeks.

Lastly, the Blues’ most expensive player, Romelu Lukaku was released from the Belgium national team camp last week. It is understood that the physical striker suffered a muscle injury.

Little is known about the injury but Chelsea will want him back in full health as soon as possible.

Chelsea players on international duty this week:

Thiago Silva: 100 Caps for Brazil.
Timo Werner: 2 goals for Germany.
Kai Havertz: 1 goal for Germany.
Romelu Lukaku: 1 goal for Belgium.
Ben Chilwell: 1 goal for England. pic.twitter.com/L84rNLWNag

— Kilekun (@kilekun__o) October 11, 2021

Tuchel will want to have his squad in shape as challenges newly-promoted Brentford in the league. The match will kick off at 17:30 on Saturday, 16th October in the Brentford Community Stadium.

To read more in-depth and up-to-date Premier League and international club football news, click here.

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Leinster will play Scarlets at the RDS Arena on Saturday, October 16 in round four of the league after 10,400 supporters experienced Saturday’s 43-7 win against Zebre Parma.

Harry Byrne will have further assessment on a hip injury today having been injured during the first half against Zebre Parma.

Rory O’Loughlin, who injured his shoulder in the 7-6 win over Dragons, also requires further assessment this week.

However, there is a lot of positive news for the defending champions as several players have stepped up their recovery.

Cullen confirmed that Jordan Larmour (groin) and Adam Byrne (hamstring) came through the game against Zebre Parma with no issues and will train as normal this week.

The pair scored three tries between them at the weekend in the 36-point win over the Italians.
​
Also making a return to training this week will be Josh Murphy who has recovered from a calf injury.

There was also further positive news for Jack Dunne who aims to return to full training this week as he returns from an ankle injury.

Ciarán Frawley and Scott Penny picked up soft tissue injuries (dead leg) against Zebre Parma on Saturday and will be further assessed this week before a final decision is made on their availability for the game against Scarlets.

There are no further updates on: Dave Kearney (ankle), Michael Milne (calf), Will Connors (knee) and Thomas Clarkson (hamstring)

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Flick announced today that Rudiger is back in contention to play against North Macedonia after missing recent training sessions.

The former Roma player played all 90 minutes in Germany’s World Cup qualifier against Romania. After a stunning Ianis Hagi goal, Serge Gnabry and Thomas Muller spared the team’s blushes in a 2-1 win.

After that match, the Chelsea defender was absent from training over the weekend. Reports in Germany claimed that he was struggling with a back injury and would be doubtful to play.

In a pre-match press conference Flick told the media that Rudiger was undergoing treatment for a back problem but that it would not rule him out of Germany’s next match.

This is Rudiger playing in a back 4 pic.twitter.com/23H7q76MWC

— (@_NeverTakenAnL_) October 9, 2021

This will be great news for German and Chelsea fans as the 6’2” center-half is in the form of his life. He has shown that he is one of the best defenders in the world, being a major part of the Blues’ Champions League victory.

He is still yet to extend his contract at Chelsea with his deal running out in June. If the Stamford Bridge board cannot agree to make him the highest-paid defender in the league then he may still leave.

Some of Europe’s major teams have already started circling with rumors of Bayern Munich and PSG wanting the player. As it stands, the now Chelsea defender will focus on his next game for Germany.

Keep smiling …. always #Hustle #AlwaysBelieve pic.twitter.com/8PmRXgyEq6

— Antonio Rüdiger (@ToniRuediger) October 5, 2021

Die Mannschaft will travel to North Macedonia for their upcoming game in the World Cup qualifiers. This top-of-the-table clash kicks off tonight, 11th October at 19:45 in Skopje. It will also be shown live on Sky Sports Premier League Ireland.

To read more in-depth and up-to-date club and international football news, click here.

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The Three Lions will have to do without the Leeds midfielder due to a calf strain. Phillips suffered the injury in his club’s 1-0 victory over Watford at the weekend.

He has now been replaced with James Ward-Prowse in English training. This will be a great improvement for the Southampton man’s week after he scored and was shown a red card in their 3-1 loss to Chelsea.

Kalvin Phillips is not the only Leeds player that will miss international duty with Patrick Bamford unable for selection with an ankle injury. Roma striker Tammy Abraham has been drafted in as a backup to Harry Kane.

Southgate will still have a very strong squad to play in this international break. They will first face Andorra away at 19:45 on Saturday 9th October. Three days later they will play Hungary at 19:45 in Wembley. Both matches will be shown on Sky Sports.

James Ward-Prowse has been added to the England squad, replacing Kalvin Phillips.

Phillips has a minor calf issue but is not expected to miss any of Leeds' upcoming fixtures. [The Athletic] pic.twitter.com/1ZPh4xQe1V

— LUFCMOT (@LUFCMOTcom) October 5, 2021

The Three Lions can cope but this may be more trouble for Bielsa and Leeds

Although England will be strong, this injury will be more of a worry to Leeds United fans. The Whites only claimed their first league win of the season on Sunday and are now without some of their starting players.

Marcelo Bielsa was lucky to have a Bamford replacement with Rodrigo able to play the position but he will not have as many choices for Phillips.

Adam Forshaw has spent much of the last two seasons on the injury table and is currently out for two more weeks with a hamstring strain. Northern Irish player, Stuart Dallas is also suffering from a knock.

If Phillips is not right to play, then the team may need to rely on Mateusz Klich to fill in.

Leeds fans should not worry too much presently with the club having a week’s break. Their next match is away to Southampton at 15:00 on Saturday, 16th October.

Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa admires Kalvin Phillips for his conduct amidst reported interest from Premier League rivals Man Utd. #lufc pic.twitter.com/7GPfvEs10A

— Adam Pope (@apopey) September 30, 2021

To read more in-depth and up-to-date Premier League and international football news, click here.

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Conor O’Brien, Nick McCarthy and Dan Leavy all came through the game against the Dragons with no issues after their return from injury and are expected to train as normal with the rest of the Leinster squad this week.

Jordan Larmour has returned to full training and will be available for selection this week after recovering from a groin injury.

Tommy O’Brien (hamstring) and Harry Byrne (foot) have also returned to full training and their names will be considered for the Zebre team sheet.

Second row Jack Dunne will look to increase his training load this week as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury.

Rory O’Loughlin sustained an injury to his shoulder against Dragons and that will require further investigation and he is not available for selection this week as a result.

Five other players remain sidelined with no further update.

Caelan Doris continues his recovery from the calf injury he picked up in Leinster’s first URC match against the Vodacom Bulls.

Michael Milne also remains sidelined with a calf injury while Dave Kearney is out with an ankle injury.

Ireland international back-row Will Connors and Thomas Clarkson are the two other players out injured with no update this week – Connors is recovering from a knee injury and Clarkson has a hamstring problem.

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The Ulster Rugby Medical Performance team has issued a squad update ahead of Friday’s United Rugby Championship fixture against Benetton at Kingspan Stadium.

The side has no new injury concerns arising out of Saturday’s game against Zebre, a 36-3 win in Parma.

Stuart McCloskey (hamstring) and Jordi Murphy sustained recent injuries in training and are currently unfit for selection.

Jacob Stockdale (ankle) and Rob Lyttle (back) also sustained recent training ground injuries and will have their fitness for selection monitored through the coming week.

Cormac Izuchukwu and Luke Marshall remain out with knee injuries while winger Robert Baloucoune recovers from a groin injury.

Captain Iain Henderson is sidelined with a thumb injury while former Leinster prop Jack McGrath is working his way to full fitness after a hip injury.

Kieran Treadwell is still sidelined with the shoulder injury he picked up during pre-season and is currently working his way back into contention.

Nathan Doak earned his first start for the province against Zebre after coming on in place of Cooney against Glasgow Warriors.

The Ireland international had to leave the field after 30 minutes and has recently had an MRI scan to determine the severity of his injury.

Doak scored one of Ulster’s conversions in the 33-point win over Zebre at the Stade Sergio Lanfranchi.

Dan McFarland’s side scored six tries to get their second win of the season and continue their strong start to the inaugural United Rugby Championship season.

Ethan McIlroy and Nick Timoney both scored braces on Saturday as the visitors blew away their hosts in a clear showcase of the gulf in class between the sides.

Will Addison also got on the scoresheet for the side as well as James Hume but Ulster could only manage to convert half of their kicking opportunities following the tries.

McFarland’s team will hope to go three-from-three against Benetton to maintain their impressive start.

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Ndidi has already missed a trip to the Polish capital of Warsaw and a visit to Selhurst Park – both times Leicester have come away without a win.

The 24-year-old’s hamstring injury means that Leicester are without one of their key players ahead of several important fixtures following the international break.

The Foxes host Manchester United in their first game after the October internationals and will have two clashes against Spartak Moscow in the UEFA Europa League in the space of a fortnight.

The injury also means that the defensive midfielder is unavailable for international duty with Nigeria, who face the Central African Republic twice in the World Cup qualifiers.

“Wilf did it in the Burnley game, which was unfortunate,” Rodgers said, quoted by the Daily Mail. “He missed the Legia Warsaw game through suspension and also Crystal Palace.

“It could be four to five weeks before he is back, we’ll see how it goes.”

Other games in the timeframe specified include away matches against Brentford and Leeds and home fixtures against Brighton and Arsenal, the former being a Carabao Cup tie.

Ndidi has played seven games for the FA Cup champions this season, amassing 629 minutes across two competitions.

Leicester recently played out a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace in which Hamza Choudhury filled in for the Nigerian.

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The provincial club has announced that John Hodnett has returned to full training this week. The back row is considered to have fully recovered from a ruptured Achilles tendon.

This serious injury saw Hodnett miss out on over ten months of rugby after sustaining the injury in training last November. The 22-year-old made his debut for the club in February 2020 and now hopes to play again in the upcoming weeks.

Kevin Byrne has also returned to training after missing much of the start to the season. The Irish hooker has also recovered from a leg injury.

Man of the Match and a try on his Guinness PRO14 debut, Academy man John Hodnett! #MUNvKIN #SUAF pic.twitter.com/r9JTWUSTXb

— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) February 14, 2020

Munster has also announced some players that will not be available for selection for the game at the weekend.

The club has confirmed that prop Roman Salanoa will be recovering for a few weeks with a knee injury. Loosehead prop Liam O’Connor will be out with a neck problem but is expected to resume training in the coming days.

Speedy center Chris Farrell will also miss out with an abdomen injury along with second-row Jason Jenkins with a shoulder issue. Both players will continue rehabilitation for injuries in the next few days.

ZEEBS IS BACK

It just had to be him as @Munsterrugby get their first score of the URC. #URC | #MUNSHA pic.twitter.com/yXoLreUkk5

— United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) September 25, 2021

Munster will still have a very strong squad going into their championship tie hoping to continue their form after beating Cell C Sharks comfortably. They will play DHL Stormers in Thomond Park at 19:30 on Saturday, 2nd October.

To read more in-depth and up-to-date Munster and Irish provincial rugby news, click here.

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