Sheffield Wednesday’s Northern Ireland goalkeeper Pierce Charles (left) is comforted by team-mate Gabriel Otegbayo while walking off the pitch on Saturday
Northern Ireland and Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles
Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill has been hit with another seismic blow ahead of March’s World Cup Play-Off with Italy.
Just two days after Liverpool ace Conor Bradley was stretchered off the pitch at the Emirates, Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles left the field in tears during the Championship club’s FA Cup clash with Brentford.
The Owls number one was enjoying a superb game making a series of fine saves to keep Brentford at bay, when disaster struck on the hour mark.
Charles injured his shoulder after denying Mathias Jensen from close range. The Northern Ireland international was in agony as he was helped off the pitch, to be replaced by Logan Stretch. Brentford won the FA Cup tie 2-0.
It’s the second serious injury Charles has suffered this season. The first one ruled the 20 year-old out of all of six of Northern Ireland’s World Cup Qualifiers, while this set back is likely to keep him out of the Play-Offs.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen
Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen said: “It’s the opposite shoulder to the previous injury and he has a lot of pain. After a scan tomorrow we’ll know more.
“It’s awful for him, he’s such an important part of our way of playing, defensively and offensively.
“How he has played since he came back is fantastic. It’s so sad if it’s another injury that keeps him out for weeks or longer. I really hope the best for him.
“The priority is to find out what is the level of the injury for Pierce and then we take it from there.”
Blackpool’s Bailey Peacock-Farrell deputised for Charles in five of Northern Ireland’s six group games during the autumn, while Plymouth Argyle’s Conor Hazard wore the gloves for the 1-0 win over Luxembourg in November.
The World Cup Play-Off Semi-Final between Italy and Northern Ireland will be staged in Bergamo on Thursday March 26, with the winners of Wales and Bosnia-Herzegovina awaiting in the Final.