Jaden Umeh call-up delayed as Benfica U19s still need one more result

Jaden Umeh’s first senior Republic of Ireland call-up has been delayed after Benfica’s under-19s were left needing one more result to stay in the race for Uefa Youth League qualification. Heimir Hallgrimsson said the club are still fighting for that target, which means Umeh’s involvement can wait for now. The friendly against Grenada is being played at the Estadio Nueva Condomina at 17:00 BST.

Why the call-up has been pushed back

Hallgrimsson was clear about the reason. "Benfica are still fighting in their U19s to be in the Uefa Youth League," he said. He added: "The plan was for them to have secured that by now, but unfortunately, results this weekend didn't go their way, so Jaden still has one more game to play."

That is the practical issue here, not injury or discipline. Benfica under-19s face a must-win game against Famalicao on Saturday to qualify, and the club are entitled to keep Umeh because the Grenada friendly sits outside FIFA’s international window. Hallgrimsson also said: "We knew beforehand that this was a possibility, even if it was unlikely."

What Umeh had already done for Benfica

The delay does not come because Umeh is short of form. He scored twice in Benfica’s 6-2 win over UD Leiria on Sunday, which makes the timing awkward from Ireland’s point of view. It also underlines why this is a selection story rather than a warning sign about the player himself.

Ireland’s squad has already changed once before kick-off. Rory Finneran has received his first senior Republic of Ireland call-up after injuries to Joel Bagan and Kasey McAteer opened space in the squad. So Hallgrimsson is dealing with a moving picture, but the Umeh situation is the more unusual one because it is being driven by Benfica’s youth run rather than anything happening in the senior camp.

If Benfica get the result they need against Famalicao, the pathway opens. Until then, Umeh stays with Benfica’s U19s and Ireland wait on the first senior call-up.

• bbc.co.uk

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →