By:
Mark Hendry
Josh Cullen has learned the extent of his injury – and it’s not good news for the Republic of Ireland.
Burnley and Ireland midfielder Cullen picked up what seemed to be a bad knock vs Everton on Saturday.
He was able to hobble off on his own strength but he didn’t last an hour of action.
That left manager Scott Parker worried about his player’s chances of recovering this season.
And now it has been confirmed that he has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
That means he will now sit in the stands for a “prolonged period of time” which ruins his shot at playing in Ireland’s clash vs Czechia in their World Cup playoff semi-final in March.
National boss Heimir Hallgrimsson will be disappointed to lose a player of Cullen’s calibre.
The Clarets, too, will miss Cullen who has started every one of their 18 Premier League games this term.
Josh Cullen suffers ACL injury for Burnley
That was, of course, until he missed the Newcastle defeat on Tuesday night.
Burnley confirmed the news in a statement, which read: “Everyone at Burnley Football Club wishes Josh all the best for a successful and speedy recovery.”
The news came after he underwent medical scans on Monday to check the extent of the damage.
He will now have to undergo surgery which has not yet been scheduled.
The 47-time capped Irish international is a big player for his country and will be a big miss.
Cullen has also been a big player for his club and the injury had Parker scrambling.
He explained how his Turf Moor stars will miss their teammate on the pitch.
He said: “It’s something we certainly need to look at.
“Josh is a huge loss for us.
“On the pitch he’s probably been one of our best performers, so to lose him on the pitch as well as off, and what he gives us is a big loss.”
Who could replace Cullen in Ireland squad?
The implication being that Burnley may have to dip into the January transfer market to find a suitable replacement.
Hallgrimsson and ROI, meanwhile, might also have to line up a replacement for the 29-year-old.
Barnsley captain Luca Connell has been touted as an Ireland star of the future having played for the under-21s.
Hibs midfielder Jamie McGrath also stole the show vs Hearts in the Edinburgh derby recently which opened the door for him to possibly come into the fold.
The match vs Czechia to make the World Cup in USA, Mexico and Canada is vital for the Irish.
They would then face either Denmark or North Macedonia to make the competition proper.
But even then, Cullen would likely have to miss the entirety of the tournament as he rehabs his injury.
Reports suggest it could take as much as nine months for his recovery.
So it would be later in 2026 when Cullen would be able to make any sort of return to the grass.
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