Midfielder David O’Leary ruled out of Galway United’s trip to Dalymount Park

New signing Dave O’Leary, who has been excellent in his first two games for United, is ruled out through injury, but fellow new signing Sam Oji has been declared fit, while Marc Ludden is in line for his first appearance of the season after coming through yesterday morning’s training session.

It was in training that O’Leary picked up the injury which rules him out for tonight, the midfielder going over on his ankle, but manager Tommy Dunne says he should be okay for the visit of Drogheda United to Eamonn Deacy Park next Friday night.

The other absentees tonight include long-term injury concerns Killian Cantwell and Ger Hanley, while the club is still waiting for a work permit to come through for Kevin Garcia.

“We are doing everything we can to get the permit, but it’s just a waiting game now. You never know, it might land on the desk on Friday morning and if it does, he’ll be clear to play, but we don’t know what the hold-up is,” Dunne said.

There was better news regarding Oji and Ludden, who are both expected to feature tonight. Oji limped off in the second-half against Finn Harps in the EA Sports Cup on Monday night with a tight quad, but Dunne says he has trained this week and is available to play.

Ludden has missed the first two games of the season with a glute injury, but he came through training without any problems yesterday morning and is likely to go straight into the side at left-back, possibly freeing-up Stephen Walsh to take O’Leary’s place in midfield if Dunne feels the 77 minutes Alex Byrne got on Monday night is not enough preparation for tonight.

Dalymount Park has been less than a happy hunting ground for the Tribesmen over the years. United have won on just six of their 35 visits to the traditional home of Irish football – although they have won three of their last four at the Phibsboro venue – and with Bohemians setting the early pace after last week’s 3-0 win over Limerick FC, Dunne knows his side is in for another tough game.

“Ah yeah, a nice easy one for us! I watched them against Limerick last Saturday and they were very impressive, and by all accounts they were the same against Athlone mid-week. Dalymount is a tough ground to go to and it’s a big pitch, but we are going up there full of confidence – you have to, otherwise what’s the point?” Dunne said.

“We’re in the Premier Division and there are no easy games, and we know we have another tough test on Friday night. It was great to get the win over Finn Harps, who look stronger than last season, but with all respect to them, Bohemians will be a very different test.

“Their players will have a little more guile than Finn Harps that will test you in different aspects of the game. It will be a very different to the one we faced against Harps, and we need to be up for it – we will be up for it,” Dunne said.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.