CONFUSION REIGNS ON O’DOWDA

CALLUM O’DOWDA has been ruled out of tonight’s key clash with Wales but the FAI are still refusing to say if he suffered a concussion.

The Bristol City winger was forced off at half-time in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Denmark after shipping a blow.

O’dowda looked groggy and suffered ‘dizziness’ but played on for 20 minutes until the break. The midfielder watched training from the dugout at FAI headquarters in

Dublin, right.

O’neill said: “It is precautionary as much as anything. He wasn’t feeling great at half-time.

“But he can’t remember when it happened and we’re trying to find that out ourselves. We thought the best thing to do was take him out of it.

“We’ll get someone else into his position. We’ll see if we stay with the same system.”

But O’neill hinted that a return to 4-4-2 could be on the cards, against the Welsh.

“The players don’t mind the (wing-back) system at all and quite enjoy it. They are prepared for whatever we play,” he said.

But he denied the setup against the Danes was designed solely to get his best players into the team regardless of their positions.

James Mcclean, for instance, played as a left wing back.

O’neill said: “Mcclean has played wing back for us a number of times.

“Stephen Ward has done exceptionally well for us but a lot of it is to do with Mcclean getting back to cover.

“The only player who didn’t play in a position they are used to was Cyrus Christie and he got man-of-the-match.”