Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers has been ruled out of the Republic of Ireland's upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers against Denmark and Gibraltar due to a hand injury.
Travers had been training with Mick McCarthy's squad in Portugal, ahead of the games in Copenhagen and Dublin, but a freak thumb injury has ended his hopes of a senior debut.
The 20-year-old, who has represented the Republic of Ireland from under-15 level right through to under-21, made his first-team breakthrough at Bournemouth towards the end of the Premier League season, putting in a man of the match display for the Cherries during their 1-0 win against Spurs.
After having an x-ray on the hand injury he picked up in training, it was decided Travers would be withdrawn for the squad.
Gutted to be ruled out of the 2 qualifying games with a fractured tumb. All the best to @FAIreland for the games.On the positive side I’ll be ready and fit for the start of pre season 🇮🇪🍒@afcbournemouth https://t.co/ifmdkm4gtB
— Mark travers (@marktravers40) May 24, 2019
"It is an injury that Alan Kelly [goalkeeping coach] and the Doc [Alan Byrne] has never seen...he's got a displaced fracture of his thumb," McCarthy said.
"It's really sad for us because he's a great lad to have around the place and a good goalkeeper, but he's got to go back and get it repaired if he wants to be ready for the start of the [Premier League] season."
Travers's withdrawal means Mick McCarthy may bring another netminder into his squad of 26. With Kieran O'Hara sidelined due to injury, it leaves just Darren Randolph and Kristiansund's Sean McDermott as the two fit goalkeepers.
The Republic of Ireland will look to build on their winning start to Group D in the Euro qualifiers when they renew their recent rivalry with Denmark in Copenhagen on June 7. Following the World Cup playoff and Nations League meetings, it will be the fifth time in just over a year and a half that the sides have met.
Three of the previous four games have finished scoreless, while Denmark were 5-1 winners when the sides met in the second leg of their World Cup playoff in 2017.
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