Sunderland defender John O'Shea could miss both legs of the Republic of Ireland's crucial Euro 2016 qualifying playoff against Bosnia-Herzegovina later this month through injury.
O'Shea has not played since October 25 and he missed out on Sunderland's 1-0 defeat to Southampton on Saturday after suffering a recurrence of his hamstring problem.
The defender is already suspended for the first leg of his country's playoff tie on Friday, and his club manager Sam Allardyce has said that he does not expect O'Shea to be available for the return fixture on November 16.
"He is not going to get fit in 10 days with a hamstring injury," Allardyce told reporters.
"He will be talking to them - the Republic - but I would not have thought that, with the recurrence in his hamstring, he would be anywhere near available.
"He has not been able to get fit for us in two weeks. He got through training all right yesterday and was selected to play, but felt it this morning, so we took him out."
O'Shea, who has 108 Ireland caps, featured in all 10 of Ireland's group games in qualification.
