INJURY has cost Gerry Taggart the chance of an international comeback.

The in-form Wanderers defender, omitted from the original selection, was due for a recall to the Northern Ireland World Cup squad until national boss Bryan Hamilton learned he was under treatment for a hamstring injury.

Now Hamilton has turned to Arsenal centre-back Stephen Morrow as replacement for Reading's Barry Hunter, who pulled out yesterday.

Hamilton confirmed today that Taggart would have been in his squad for Saturday's Group 9 qualifier against the Ukraine in Belfast but couldn't run the risk of him not being fully fit. Taggart is under intensive treatment at Burnden in an effort to get the go-ahead for Sunday's Sky TV game at QPR.

"The extra day could make all the difference," said hopeful Wanderers boss Colin Todd.

Taggart, a veteran of 35 internationals and a former captain of his country, was "very disappointed" to be omitted from Hamilton's original squad. But he took the news philosophically when he said: "He's the manager and I'm not. He picks the squad and I'm not in it but he was here at Burnden last week and, hopefully, he'll go away and think again. "The manager's told me to keep playing the way I've been playing for Bolton and I'll get back in the international side."

Neither Todd nor Taggart could have realised the call would come so quickly.

Gudni Bergsson's reserve team comeback lasted just 20 minutes of last night's 3-1 home defeat by Sheffield Wednesday. The Wanderers captain, given the all-clear after missing the start of the season with an achilles injury, needed stitches in a gash under his eye.

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