Linfield have confirmed that manager David Healy and “a number of club personnel” have been unable to travel to Bosnia for Thursday’s Europa Conference League clash with Borac Banja Luka.
The Blues revealed the news after team sheets were submitted for the second qualifying round, second leg tie.
Linfield – who hold a 4-0 lead going into the away leg at the Banja Luka stadium – said the missing personnel include “several players and backroom staff members and the team manager”.
In a statement posted on their website, the Blues said: “Linfield FC has submitted team sheets for tonight’s huge UEFA Conference League second round, second leg tie away to Borac Banja Luka, the Bosnian league champions.
“Close examination of the team sheets will reveal that a number of club personnel have unfortunately been unavailable for this trip to Bosnia, due to a wide variety of injury or personal reasons that were known to the club in advance of travel to Banja Luka.
“The personnel who have been unavailable for this trip include several players and backroom staff members and the team manager.
“The club has aimed to avoid all distractions by maintaining sole focus on the task facing the party who are in Bosnia this evening and who go into tonight’s game with the full support and best wishes of everyone connected to Linfield Football Club.
“Tonight’s game is going to be very tough against an excellent team in challenging conditions and surroundings but our preparations have been professional, excellent, thorough and as close to normal as possible.
“If (as we all hope and have worked towards) we were to be successful in reaching the next round of this prestigious competition, we would hope to have most of tonight’s missing personnel available again for what would be a home first leg game next week.”
If Linfield progress they will face either Bulgaria’s Shakhtyor Soligorsk or Fola Esch of Luxembourg.
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