With goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu injured and unlikely to be fit until early next year, Hallgrimsson was also facing the prospect of being without Will Smallbone for the games against Finland and England.
The midfielder – a teammate of Bazunu’s at Southampton – suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury on his return to the first team after a five-week absence and is not expected to be fit.
There were positives from the weekend’s action in England, especially at the back as goalkeepers Caoimhín Kelleher and Mark Travers got in some game time, while third-choice custodian Max O’Leary delivered a man-of-the-match display for Bristol City in a 0-0 draw with Leeds United.
Fellow Irishmen Jason Knight, Luke McNally and Mark Sykes all started for City in the same game.
But Ogbene and Brady – both likely to start for Ireland if fit – will be absent from international duty next month. Ogbene was stretched off during Ipswich Town’s 4-3 loss to Brentford on Saturday.
“It is a bad one,” said Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna of the injury. “We think Chiedozie has torn his achilles. We’ll need to see, but he’s going to be out for a period of time.”
He jumped for that header and when he landed, he turned his ankle
Brady was also unable to see out the game for his club on Saturday as he was substituted in the first half of Preston’s 3-3 draw away to Plymouth and the initial diagnosis was not good.
“He has done his ankle,” Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom said of Brady. “He jumped for that header and when he landed, he turned his ankle. It has swollen up.
“We know there is damage there. How much, we won’t be certain until we get him assessed.”
The injury is a major blow as Brady was one of Ireland’s form players in the last international window, claiming a goal and an assist in the win away to Finland.
Hallgrimsson will need to look at options like Callum O’Dowda or possibly Ryan Manning to fill the left-back role. Manning, unable to even make the bench at Southampton for the first part of this season, has started the last three Premier League games for the Saints, which all ended in defeat.
An injury to Bournemouth’s first choice keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga offered an opportunity for Travers to start only his second game of the season, against Aston Villa. The game ended 1-1.
“Kepa had some issues in his left abductor. He couldn’t hit the ball properly and it didn’t make any sense to take any risk having also the two keepers we have,” said Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, who also praised Travers.
“I think we with the defenders, Mark [Travers] kept us in the game through that difficult period.”