Duffy links up with Ireland

Duffy flew out to meet the rest of the squad in Tbilisi ahead of Saturday’s match, and Albion head coach Graham Potter explained that the defender had done so with the full backing of the club.

He said, “Shane has worked very hard to get himself back into a position where he can play again, and we are supportive of his decision to go away with the Ireland squad.

“There has been a good dialogue between ourselves and the FAI over the past few days, and we trust them to carefully monitor his progress over the coming week.

“We’ve also taken the player’s wishes into account, as Shane expressed a clear desire to link up with the squad.”

The 27-year-old will join up with Albion team-mate Aaron Connolly, who was promoted to the seniors from the under-21 squad following his brace in the 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

Mick McCarthy’s side sit top of Group D in their Euro 2020 qualifying table, and are still unbeaten with 11 points from their opening five games.