Dundalk have suffered a major set-back ahead of Tuesday night's FAI Cup quarter-final replay with Finn Harps.
Four members of the Lilywhites squad have tested positive for COVID-19. According to the Irish Independent, a fifth player was forced to miss Friday night's game.
Vinny Perth's side are scheduled to welcome Finn Harps to Oriel Park on Tuesday night, following a dramatic 3-3 draw in Ballybofey.
Dundalk had led 3-1 against the ten men of Harps, but conceded an injury-time goal to the hosts' substitute, Sean Boyd.
Unbelievable scenes - Finn Park has just erupted!!!
Harps substitute Sean Boyd has scored a dramatic 94th minute equaliser for ten men @FinnHarpsFC and forced a replay against @DundalkFC.
Sign up 📺 | https://t.co/vfkMjbvRwA#LOI | #LOITV | #FAICUP | @ExtraSportIre pic.twitter.com/KTeRbzfeyh— SSE Airtricity League (@SSEAirtricityLg) September 17, 2021
The replay with Harps will only be under genuine threat if Dundalk don't have 14 players available for the game.
Regardless, it's the latest chapter in what has been a nightmare season for the County Louth club.
They currently occupy the SSE Airtricity Premier Division's relegation playoff spot, having taken just 1-point from the last 18 available.
Asked on Friday night how he could lift the mood of the players, Perth told Dundalk FC TV, "We've got to, we've got to.
"We're still in the Cup. We're still two games from the Aviva Stadium, and we've got to do that.
"We've got to understand that, yeah we didn't want a replay but we have it now and we've got to go and be prepared for [it].
"There's nothing they [Harps] done that surprised us tonight in terms of the set-pieces, all the long throws - all that stuff - and we've got to be at our very best now come Tuesday. There's nothing else we can do."
