Republic of Ireland: Stephen Kenny's goalkeeping difficulties increase as Caoimhin Kelleher is ruled out
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Caoimhin Kelleher looked in line to make his Republic debut in Belgrade
The Republic of Ireland's goalkeeping concerns for their opening World Cup qualifiers have increased after Caoimhin Kelleher was ruled out.
With regular keeper Darren Randolph already out, Liverpool's Kelleher looked in line to make his debut in Wednesday's qualifier in Serbia.
However, he was ruled out on Sunday by a lingering abdominal tear.
Mark Travers, Kieran O'Hara and Gavin Bazunu, the other keepers in the squad, only have four caps between them.
Bournemouth's Travers and Burton Albion's O'Hara have both made two Republic appearances with Manchester City's Bazunu, who is on loan with Rochdale, uncapped.
Neither Travers nor O'Hara have played any first-team football in recent weeks - in contrast to 19-year-old Bazunu, who has featured 31 times for Rochdale this season, including Saturday's 3-3 draw with Peterborough in League One.
Travers' last match came during the final game of his loan stint for League One Swindon on 9 February before he returned to Bournemouth.
The 21-year-old was on the bench for Bournemouth's FA Cup defeat by Southampton on Saturday.
The last of 24-year-old O'Hara's 17 appearances for League One Burton came in a 5-1 defeat by Oxford United on 2 January.
Callum O'Dowda and Conor Hourihane both had to come off because of injury while playing for their clubs on Saturday
Hourihane, O'Dowda and Long also out
In further bad news for Republic manager Stephen Kenny, who has yet to taste a victory in his eight games in charge, on-loan Swansea midfielder Conor Hourihane, Bristol City winger Callum O'Dowda and Burnley defender Kevin Long were also ruled out by injury.
Kenny is already without injured trio James McCarthy, John Egan and Adam Idah.
Midfielder Hourihane was forced off in the second half of Swansea's derby with Cardiff City because of a thigh injury.
O'Dowda had to be substituted late on in Bristol City's Championship game against Rotherham United after only returning to action recently following a couple of months out with a hamstring injury.
A Football Association of Ireland statement said that Long had also been forced to pull out of the squad.
Kenny has drafted in Blackburn defender Darragh Lenihan and West Ham midfielder Conor Coventry, who earns his first senior call-up.
The FAI also confirmed former goalkeeper David Forde's addition to Kenny's backroom team for the next two international windows.
Forde earned 24 caps for the Republic and played under Kenny at Derry City.
The Republic squad reported for duty in Manchester on Sunday where they will train before travelling to Belgrade for Wednesday's game.
James McClean remains in the squad despite not being involved for Stoke in a seventh successive game against Derby County on Saturday as he continues his recovery from a foot injury.
The Irish will face Luxembourg in Dublin in their second World Cup qualifier on Saturday before taking on Qatar in a further friendly in the Hungarian city of Debrecen on 30 March.