Derry City waiting on Shane McEleney injury news ahead of UCD game

Derry City vs. UCD

Tonight, 7:45pm

Ruaidhri Higgins will give Shane McEleney every opportunity to make the team for tonight's game against UCD, after the defender picked up an injury earlier this week. 

McEleney was replaced by Ciaran Coll in the first half of Monday's win over Dundalk, but Higgins is willing to wait until the very last minute before deciding to include him in this evening's starting eleven. 

Meanwhile, the City boss has described tonight’s game against UCD at the Brandywell as ‘dangerous’, insisting his players will not be complacent.

Derry City sit in second place in the Premier Division after a fantastic run of five wins in six games, and they are expected to make it nine points in the space of eight days against the team currently adrift at the foot of the Premier Division. But the City boss has suffered against UCD as a player and knows full well how easy it is to slip up against an underdog opponent.

“Bohs dropped a couple of points against them in recent weeks,” he warned. “It’s a real danger because people can think we have beaten Bohemians, and we have beaten Dundalk so we should beat UCD, but that’s not how it works. It’s a dangerous game and one we have to prepare for well. If we can replicate Monday’s performance we should do okay, but we won’t be taken anything for granted, that’s for sure.”

The Derry City boss is refusing to look beyond tonight’s game against UCD, despite his team’s brilliant league form, knowing full well that City’s home form has hindered them again this season.

“We don’t look past the next game here, we really don’t because it’s dangerous,” he insisted. “I’ve said it a hundred times. Shamrock Rovers are an outstanding team, we all know that, but I think we are a very good side as well and we have shown against Dundalk that our squad depth is coming right back.

“It’s great to get (Cameron) Dummigan back on the pitch. There’s good numbers, good depth and good quality and I think if we keep the right mentality, which I’m sure we will, we’ll go from strength to strength.

“We’ve had to be patient to get to this point, and the players who have gone game after game after game deserve massive credit. When the chips are down, I think the players have come out fighting and we’re delighted with them but it’s important that we don’t look past Friday.”