Robbie Benson is touch and go to make Dundalk’s flight to Azerbaijan today.
Last night, the club was agonising over whether to take the midfielder on the charter to Baku for the second-leg of their delicately poised clash with Qarabag.
Benson suffered bruised ribs in the first-half of last week’s 1-1 Champions League draw at Oriel Park and was forced off before the break.
While there is no crack, he is in considerable pain and no time frame has been put on his return.
For that reason, he could be fighting a losing battle and may be forced to sit this one out with Dundalk knowing they have another European game regardless.
Sean Murray tweaked a long-standing groin injury in Saturday’s win over St Pat’s and was forced off but should be fit to face Qarabag.
And so should Sean Gannon who skipped the Richmond Park clash because of an unspecified but minor niggle.
The Lilywhites made eight changes for that 1-0 win over the Saints but boss Vinny Perth said: “I didn’t see it as eight changes.”
Perth said: “Dean Jarvis was playing his 20th game of the season, so I wouldn’t disrespect anyone by saying it’s a change.
“It was people like Brian Gartland our club captain, Dan Cleary is probably in our top three performers this year and that’s his 19th game.
“John Mountney, he scored his sixth goal of the season so these players were ready to play and we really respect this group.”
The 1-0 win saw Dundalk tighten their grip on the league title and kept the pressure on Shamrock Rovers.
Perth added: “I’ve seen Rovers' last two games in Europe because I’m really interested in European football. But I’m not fixated on them until we play them in a couple of weeks.
“That’s something Stephen Kenny taught me - concentrate on ourselves. I’m not fixated on them or what other clubs are doing, it’s just ourselves.”
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