Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill has said that March’s fixtures will come too early for Leeds United star Stuart Dallas – who continues in his struggle to return from injury sustained in 2022.
Dallas, 32, has been on the sidelines at Leeds for almost two years now. It comes after his collision with Jack Grealish in April 2022, which saw him break his leg, undergoing near eight-hour surgery to fix it.
We are now approaching two years in which the 62-time Northern Ireland man has not played a single minute of football. Daniel Farke has said he has been in and out of team training, but mostly by himself.
Northern Ireland take on Romania and Scotland towards the end of March and O’Neill was asked by the Belfast Telegraph if he’ll have Dallas – or Blackburn’s Corry Evans – available for selection for the games.
“That would be a stretch. Neither player is close to their first team at this minute in time and we are coming up to the midway point in February, so I think it would be a tough challenge for both boys.
“Stuart and Corry are with their clubs. They aren’t back in terms of full training or back in their matchday squads and we just have to be patient with that and hopefully they will be fit sooner rather than later.”
Michael O’Neill gives injury update on Leeds man Stuart Dallas
Time is running out for Dallas. The pressure is now increasing on the versatile man to get back to full fitness and earn himself a new deal. But it has to be saod that as things stand, it looks very unlikely.
Dallas will see his contract expire in June and even Phil Hay says from what he’s heard – he will join the likes of Liam Cooper and Luke Ayling in leaving the club on free transfers. A real shame, for Dallas.
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