Assistant Republic of Ireland boss Roy Keane has questioned whether club managers are using injuries as an excuse to withhold players from going on international duty.

His comments come as he and boss Martin O'Neill await news on five players, most notably Newcastle keeper Rob Elliot, Sunderland defender John O'Shea and Southampton striker Shane Long, ahead of Ireland's Euro 2016 play-off against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The former Sunderland and Ipswich manager said: "You ask any of the players who worked under me, I never had a problem with players going away for internationals, never.

"I never ruled them out for 10-14 days every time there was an international match, I know that. If players were fit, they would go away. But if players aren't fit, you have got to respect the clubs. If the players aren't fit, then of course they stay at their clubs.

"But it's ironic that they all seem to get ruled out for 10-14 days. And again, not just the managers you have mentioned, it's happened with a few other club managers who have been international managers themselves."