UCD manager Collie O'Neill hopes to have Liam Scales available to him for Friday's Airtricity League game in Derry despite the 20 year-old defender having been on the verge of a move to Bristol Rovers for the past week or so.
O’Neill says that that the player said his goodbyes to the rest of the squad last weekend but that the transfer has not actually been completed yet and that if it is not imminent by Friday then he will look to use him at the Brandywell.
“If it’s going to happen in the following 24 hours or anything then I certainly wouldn’t do anything to jeopardise it,” he says, “but it would be great to have him available if things have got done by then. We’ll talk about it between now and then”
The Dubliners have been so short of bodies of late that they have not been able to fill all the available places on their bench with Niall Farrugia and Gary O'Neill having departed to Shamrock Rovers and Conor Davis, who may well feature in this game, joining Derry City.
Evan Osam and Josh Collins are still out injured but midfielders Jack Ryan and Dara Keane are fit again after lay-offs and Richie O'Farrell is available after having been put on standby for the Irish Under-19 squad which has travelled to Armenia for the European Championships.
A makeshift side lost a friendly O’Neill says was of little or no consequence to him 11-0 against Portsmouth on Wednesday evening. The manager says he is more concerned with picking up the points require to avoid relegation with the team having given themselves a boost last weekend by beating Finn Harps 1-0.
"It keeps us in it," he says. "It gives us hope but it is going to be tough." He is boosted, however, by the signing of Jack Kearney from Sligo Rovers with the highly rated 20 year-old moving so as to start a degree course at Belfield and O'Neil remains hopeful that Liam Kerrigan will complete a similar switch.
Fixtures (all 7.45)
Premier Division
Derry City v UCD
Bray Wanderers v Limerick
Shelbourne v Cabinteely
Wexford v Galway United.
