Seamus Coleman: Republic skipper ruled out of Euro play-off

Coleman was injured in Everton's win over Brighton on Saturday

Republic of Ireland captain Seamus Coleman will miss Thursday's Euro 2020 play-off semi-final in Slovakia after picking up a hamstring injury.

The right-back had to be substituted in the second-half of Everton's 4-2 win over Brighton on Saturday.

Nottingham Forest defender Cyrus Christie has been drafted into the squad by Stephen Kenny.

Burnley's Kevin Long has also been called up to replace injured Blackburn defender Darragh Lenihan.

Harry Arter is among other injury concerns and a number of other unnamed players also fitness doubts for the Republic boss.

Arter picked up a thigh problem during Nottingham Forest's 2-1 Championship defeat by Bristol City on Saturday.

"We'll wait and see on Harry Arter, how he is. He came off yesterday with a slight thigh issue," Kenny said on Sunday.

"There were a lot of phone calls yesterday, the type of phone calls that you don't welcome probably in relation to five players.

Matt Doherty (left) was preferred to Seamus Coleman at right-back for the Republic's two opening Nations League games

"Hopefully a few will be OK, but obviously a couple have pulled out of the squad through no fault of their own, just unfortunate injuries."

Coleman, 31, was an unused substitute in the Republic's Nations League games in September as Tottenham's Matt Doherty was selected at right-back but there was speculation that Everton's impressive start to the campaign could lead to a recall for the Donegal man.

"I was watching the game and immediately I knew when I saw him [Coleman] - he was chasing Aaron Connolly at the time, actually, and just pulled up."

Kenny said that he had no hesitation in calling up Long who played in Burnley's 3-1 defeat at Newcastle on Saturday evening.

"Kevin Long can consider himself probably rather unfortunate not to be included in the first place."

No fewer than 11 members of Kenny's 25-man squad were due to be in action for their clubs on Sunday before travelling to Dublin ahead of the Slovakia game and the Nations League fixtures against Wales and Finland which follow it.

The winner of the Republic's play-off will face either Northern Ireland or Bosnia-Herzegovina on 12 November for a place in next summer's finals.