Mark McGuinness will be ready to face Watford on Saturday despite being sent home injured from international duty, the Republic of Ireland manager has said.
The Luton defender was called up to the senior Irish side for the first time for their UEFA Nations League clashes with Finland and Greece.
The 23-year-old was an unused substitute for the 2-1 victory over Finland but after sustaining an injury in training he did not fly to Athens for a 2-0 defeat.
Ahead of the game in Greece, Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson, said: “Mark McGuinness is not ready to play, so we decided, with Luton, just to send him home.
“We expected him to be ready for this game. It’s not like a big injury, but he will most definitely make it for Luton in the weekend.
“And for the club’s sake as well, we decided to send him home.”
McGuinness has played every game since Luton signed him from Cardiff in August and it should mean he’s available for the derby day clash against arch-rivals Watford at Kenilworth Road on Saturday.
Elsewhere, Hatters midfielder Zack Nelson earned two more caps for England’s Elite League squad (U20s), playing the whole game as the Young Lions beat Italy 2-1, then coming off the bench as they beat Czechia 3-0 in the EURO Elite League.
However, Luton defender Reuell Walters was sent home injured from the U20s squad.
And for England Under-19s, Luton defender Joe Johnson started in a 4-1 rout of the Netherlands, having come off the bench for the 2-1 defeat to Portugal.
Fellow centre half Teden Mengi was called up from the standby list for England Under-21s’ Euro 2025 qualifiers against Ukraine and Azerbaijan. He didn’t feature in the squad for the first game, where the Young Lions sealed qualification, and they face Azerbaijan tonight.
Marvelous Nakamba also returned to Zimbabwe duty, after almost a year away, when he captained the side in a 1-0 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying victory over Namibia, but was then an unused substitute in the return fixture, which the Warriors also won, 3-1.
