Ireland dealt major Josh Cullen injury blow ahead of World Cup playoffs

Gavin Cooney

IRELAND HAVE SUFFERED a major injury blow ahead of the World Cup play-offs with confirmation that midfielder Josh Cullen has sustained an ACL injury while playing for Burnley. 

Cullen limped out of Burnley’s goalless draw with Everton last Saturday, and the club have tonight confirmed that Cullen has suffered an ACL issue and must now undergo surgery. Though Burnley have not given a timeframe for Cullen’s return, he is almost certainly going to miss the March play-offs against Czechia and potentially either Denmark or North Macedonia, while he would likely miss the World Cup too, should Ireland qualify. 

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Cullen has been an ever present for Ireland since Stephen Kenny took charge, and he has remained central under Heimir Hallgrimsson, starting all of the World Cup qualifying campaign bar the home win over Armenia, which he missed through suspension.