Champions League first qualifying round, first leg: Cork City v Legia Warsaw, Turner’s Cross, Tuesday, 7.45pm
Cork City goalkeeper Mark McNulty will be given every chance to prove his fitness to face leading Polish side Legia Warsaw in Tuesday night’s Champions League first qualifying round, first leg clash at Turner’s Cross.
The 37-year-old injured an ankle in Friday’s 0-0 draw with Shamrock Rovers.
"He wants to play," said Cork manager John Caulfield, who has the experienced Peter Cherrie in reserve.
"He's improved dramatically, he's a great healer, but I'll wait to see. We've done a lot of work with Peter and we'll give it until the last minute. We can't play him if he's not 100 per cent," added Caulfield, who also waits on midfielder Garry Buckley, who suffered a head cut on Friday.
Describing Legia, who beat St Patrick’s Athletic and Dundalk in the same competition in recent years, as the toughest European opponents Cork will have faced since playing Bayern Munich in 1991, Caulfield added: “It’s fantastic for a club like us, playing in our country, living off the crumbs which is our league, trying to be as professional as you can. It’s an honour to go and play a club like Legia.”
Playing their first competitive game of the season, Legia will be without their two Poland international defenders Michal Pazdan and Artur Jedrzejczyk, who were at the World Cup in Russia.
