Irish FA blocks Lafferty from playing against Hamilton

31-year-old Lafferty was a late withdrawal from the squad to play against Austria and Bosnia Herzegovina, a decision that manager Michael O'Neill said was 'disappointing'. 

Under FIFA rules, players withdrawing from an international squad can be prevented from playing for their club for a further five days after the international break - this is the fate that now awaits Lafferty. 

The IFA has written to Rangers, telling the Glasgow club that Lafferty cannot play this weekend. 

"As the player did not comply with the call up, the player is in breach and as a result, the Association is invoking the Fifa regulation (Fifa Regulations for the status and transfer of players, Annexe 1, Section 5)," they said in a statement. 

Lafferty had reportedly told O'Neill that he had an Achilles injury, but the manager said before the Austria game he would be pursiuing the issue. 

"Kyle had an Achilles problem, we knew he had an Achilles problem in September," said O'Neill last week.

"I plan to have a chat [with him] but not before the game. There's not another international after this until November so there's plenty of time to have that conversation."