If you are an Irish fan tuning into the Premier League every weekend with anxiety, desperately hoping that Irish players avoid the curse of injury ahead of the European Championships. The sight of Seamus Coleman limping off with a hamstring injury for Everton yesterday, for example, is a sign of the frenetic anguish yet to come as we pray for a clean bill of health ahead of the Championships.
You can rest slightly more assured with the fact that fans of our opponents are going through the same torment, and Italian fans saw their worst fears realised in the form of Claudio Marchisio being stretchered off with an injury likely to rule him out of the European Championships.
Marchisio crumpled into a heap during Juventus' game today with Palermo, and will require surgery on his cruciate ligament:
Marchisio will need cruciate surgery. (Via @officialallegri ) Likely out of Euros
— Gabriele Marcotti (@Marcotti) April 17, 2016
"We've now received confirmation. In the coming days @ClaMarchisio8 will have surgery on his cruciate ligament" - @OfficialAllegri
— Adam Digby (@Adz77) April 17, 2016
Marchisio's absence is a massive blow to Italy, and will mean Antoni Conte will struggle to field his preferred midfield three. Marco Veratti is struggling for fitness at PSG, having not played a full ninety minutes since January. It means that Thiago Motta will likely line up in midfield against Ireland, despite the fact Motta has not played a competitive game for Italy since the World Cup in 2014. Motta's appearance against Spain in a friendly last month was his first for Italy since the World Cup.
Veterans Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Pirlo may also find themselves in the frame. It also offers the door for AC Milan's Ricardo Montolivo, not that all fans are excited at that particular prospect:
@AhmedmBdair @OfficialAllegri the way it's going, he'll be the only one left
— Gabriele Marcotti (@Marcotti) April 17, 2016
As awful as this is to think, such terrible news for Marchisio makes Ireland's challenge slightly easier.
