Stoke City and the Republic of Ireland have resolved a dispute over the fitness of midfielder Bosun Lawal, agreeing he will finish his rehabilitation at the club. The 23-year-old will work with Stoke's medical staff at Clayton Wood before joining up with Ireland for the second half of their international programme this month.
Lawal has been troubled by multiple hamstring injuries this season, a situation that caused frustration at Stoke when he was called up in the spring while not fully fit. He was summoned again for Nations League fixtures this month while still recovering from another issue, prompting the new arrangement.
Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson confirmed the plan and his high regard for the player. "I should have mentioned it before; he is injured at the moment," Hallgrimsson said. "But we rate him that highly, we still want him in the camp, being with us and around us." Hallgrimsson views Lawal as a major player for the team building towards the 2028 European Championships, which will be partly hosted in Dublin.
For Stoke, securing control over Lawal's recovery is a positive as they handle a busy Championship schedule. The team, currently seventh in the standings with 13 points, will be looking to build on their recent form. Their next challenge is a tough away fixture against league leaders Leicester City. His return would bolster a Stoke squad looking to maintain momentum after a 2-1 win over Sheffield United last time out.
The agreement allows Lawal to focus on a full recovery, with the aim of returning him to action for both club and country without further setbacks. The club will be hoping his rehabilitation is successful so he can contribute to their stats in the coming weeks.
The original report is at stokesentinel.co.uk
