JOEL LYNCH’S World Cup jinx has struck again.
Huddersfield Town’s Welsh international centre-back is out of the key games against Scotland in Cardiff on Friday and in Croatia the following Tuesday because of a shin injury.
He missed the opening qualifiers against Belgium and Serbia because of an Achillestendon problem.
But while national coach Chris Coleman will be disappointed, Lynch’s club boss Simon Grayson is optimistic the 24-year-old will be available when Town resume their Championship campaign at home to Wolves on Saturday week.
Grayson had hoped his close-season signing from Nottingham Forest would be back in contention after a three-match suspension for Saturday’s trip to Birmingham, where Town won 1-0 to go sixth in the table.
But he pulled out of training on Thursday with a shooting pain and scans have shown a small fragment has splintered off the main bone.
“Joel will wear a brace for the next four or five days to help the healing process,” said Grayson, who retained Anthony Gerrard alongside skipper Peter Clarke as Town kept a first clean sheet in five games at St Andrew’s.
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“He’ll return to see the specialist at the end of this week and hopefully will be given the all clear.”
Town have midfielder Oliver Norwood and centre-back Murray Wallace on international duty.
Norwood, who maintained his ever-present league record at Birmingham, will be with Northern Ireland for their qualifier in Portugal a week tomorrow.
