Pierce Charles' injury is not as bad as first feared
The Sheffield Wednesday stopper was taken off with a shoulder injury in their FA Cup defeat to Brentford at the weekend, with fears that it could be a long-term injury for O’Neill’s number one.
And while he will be out for a considerable period, Charles is in line to be available for the trip to Italy on March 26, with his expected timeline for recovery being six to eight weeks according to Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen.
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“Of course it's a big blow, most for him but for all of us. It's so sad, he has been so strong defensively and offensively. He has just been very, very strong and means a lot for our team,” the Danish boss told Wednesday’s official website.
“He's out now for six to eight weeks and it's his shoulder again but the opposite shoulder from last time. It's unlucky that it's happened twice in such a short period and let's hope it's the last one for him and for all of us.
“When he went out from the pitch, we saw a young man that was very, very sad, because he has had this feeling already. He was in a good flow and going so well, strong defensively and strong with his feet.
Pierce Charles was forced off during Sheffield Wednesday's FA Cup tie with Brentford
“So of course he is sad, and now he is off until Monday, he can rest a little bit and then we will start the next step with him.”
While any setback would put his participation in the Play-Offs in jeopardy, Charles’ impending availability will be a massive boost for O’Neill after the loss of Bradley earlier in the week, the Liverpool defender ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
After Charles departed the pitch in tears at the weekend, fans feared the worst, particularly since the Manchester-born goalkeeper – the brother of fellow Northern Ireland international Shea – missed all six of their World Cup qualifying group matches due to a problem with his opposite shoulder.
However, the 20-year-old looks set to reclaim his place for the game in Bergamo in ten weeks' time, with either Blackpool’s Bailey Peacock-Farrell or Plymouth Argyle’s Conor Hazard ready to deputise were he to suffer a setback between now and then.
Even if he is fit, there is no guarantee Charles will start given his lack of game-time prior to that fixture. Even if he did return in six weeks from today, the eight-times capped star would only have five games in which to get back up to speed, with that number reduced to two if it took the full eight weeks.