Two Absences in the Ireland Squad Ahead of the Second Match Against Armenia

According to The Irish Times, midfielder Sammie Szmodics and forward Callum O’Dowda will be unable to take part in Ireland’s upcoming matches against Portugal and Armenia in the World Cup qualifying campaign. Both players have been ruled out due to injuries sustained ahead of the decisive fixtures.

Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson has been forced to make changes to the previously announced squad, calling up Dundee United defender Will Ferry, who will be receiving his first-ever call-up to the national team.

These absences could benefit the Armenian national team, which will travel to Dublin on October 14 to face Ireland. The absence of key players, including Szmodics—known for his scoring ability in the English league—could weaken Ireland’s attacking potential and give Armenia additional opportunities to improve its position in the group.

Furthermore, the Irish team is already dealing with several other injuries—Robbie Brady, Matt Doherty, Bosun Lawal, and Jason Knight are all sidelined. In contrast, the Armenian team, showing increasing confidence and cohesion, has every chance to take advantage of the situation and fight for crucial points. At the same time, Seamus Coleman and Troy Parrott have returned to the squad after missing the previous match against Armenia in Yerevan, which ended in an Armenian victory.

The Armenian team also faces a personnel loss: as previously reported, Edgar Sevikyan will miss the matches against Hungary and Ireland. Nair Tiknizyan is only at risk of missing the match against Ireland due to visa issues, but this issue is still being resolved.

The Ireland vs. Armenia match will take place in Dublin on October 14 and promises to be one of the key encounters of this qualification campaign.