O’Neill recovering from multiple leg fracture

Injury plagued Keith O’Neill faces a new six to eight month spell on the sidelines after suffering a devastating fracture of …

Injury plagued Keith O’Neill faces a new six to eight month spell on the sidelines after suffering a devastating fracture of his leg on Monday.

The Republic of Ireland wideman, out of favour with Mick McCarthy, fractured his left leg in four places, sustaining a spiral fracture of the tibula, and dislocated his ankle in a freak training ground incident on Monday morning.

Remarkably, it was O’Neill’s first session back with the Coventry squad after returning to fitness from a pelvic injury sustained in a league match at Norwich last December.

The 26-year-old was rushed to hospital where he underwent an operation to have a metal plate inserted in his leg. A spokeswoman for Coventry told ireland.comthey expect O'Neill to be out for "at least six months."

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O’Neill joined Coventry from Middlesbrough last summer but in a season littered with injury problems has managed just 11 appearances.

The Dubliner, who has scored four times in 13 caps for Ireland, did not feature in the McCarthy’s World Cup qualifying campaign.

Noel O'Reilly

Noel O'Reilly

Noel O'Reilly is Sports Editor of The Irish Times