The sun went down on Giovanni Trapattoni's hopes of ushering in a bright new tactical dawn in the Republic of Ireland's game against England next week as Anthony Pilkington confirmed he would be withdrawing from the squad, apparently because of the need to rest in order to sort out a knee problem ahead of next season.
It is the third time Pilkington has pulled out of an Ireland squad since he was first called up by the manager in January for the friendly against Poland the following month.
On that occasion the problem was also his knee, while in March, when he missed the World Cup qualifiers against Sweden and Austria, it was because of a hamstring injury.
His involvement on this occasion was already in some doubt because he is getting married on May 31st and Trapattoni had acknowledged he might not be around for the games against Georgia, the Faroe Islands or Spain.
His intention, he said, was to speak with the 24-year-old in the hope, at least, of securing his availability for the second of the three, the only qualifier, which takes place on June 7th.
Instead, Pilkington, who played the last three games of the league season and scored for Norwich on Sunday against Manchester City, has confirmed his club will be pulling him out so that he can rest up and concentrate on being fully fit for the next campaign.
"The management and the physio have pulled me out," he said. "I've been struggling with my knee so I need to get treatment through the summer and an extra four games is not going to help me through pre-season.
'Need a rest'
"I need a rest and I need the treatment that I'm going to be getting through the summer in the off season, so hopefully I can put that behind me and come back pre-season 100 per cent fit.
“It’s unfortunate these injuries have popped up at the worst times for me. But like I say, I’ve got to put that behind me now, get right for next season and then hopefully see if I can get back in the squad.
“It wouldn’t be right for me to go away and them come back in pre-season struggling. I’ve had to manage the injury (to his patellar tendon) towards the end of the season and because of my knee, I’ve picked up a few hamstring injuries. So I’ll go away in the summer, work hard, get 100 per cent fit and come back flying.”
As to the question of whether his 24-year-old fiancée, Joleen, had influenced the situation, he observed: “She will always support me whatever I do – but she’s happy that she gets to go away.”
Over the weekend, Chris Hughton had strongly hinted at what was coming when he said that Norwich would be in contact with the FAI to discuss the player’s availability.
“The only problem he has is he has to rest – he has a patellar tendon injury and that is what has in effect hampered a little bit of his season,” he said.
“We now just have to try to make sure we make the right decisions as regards him. He has come strong at the end of the season but it’s certainly an injury he has to rest (and) we’ll be in conversations with them.”
It remains to be seen how convinced Trapattoni is by the explanation being offered and if he feels that Pilkington is simply trying to duck out of the games on the basis of his wedding and using the club as cover then it could be quite some time before we see the midfielder named in another squad.
His absence on this occasion, though, is bound to come as a significant disappointment to the Italian who spoke enthusiastically last week when he named his squad about the possibility of reshaping the Irish team in the event that he had a wide player, with an eye for goal like Pilkington, to throw into the mix.
There is a wider problem now too for the England and Georgia friendlies. With Kevin Doyle already absent through injury and Robbie Keane unlikely to be released by his club, Trapattoni may yet have to call up an attacking player or two.
