YORK City manager Gary Mills has been left fuming by the Republic of Ireland’s insistence that Lanre Oyebanjo cannot play in Monday’s home clash with Alfreton.

Oyebanjo has been told he must join up with the Eire under-21 squad instead, despite their home international against Hungary taking place three days later.

But midfield pair Andre Boucaud and Patrick McLaughlin, who have been called up to the Trinidad and Tobago and Northern Ireland U21 squads respectively, are still available for the Bank Holiday encounter.

City boss Mills said: “We cannot get Lanre released from international duty, which I’m not very happy about, especially when Trinidad are meeting up on Sunday but allowing Andre to fly out on his own two days later for a full international.”

Oyebanjo’s absence could mean a first start of the campaign for Daniel Parslow with Mills admitting he was unlucky not to be playing for the side at centre-back.

“Leaving Dan Parslow out at the start of the season was the toughest decision I’ve had to make,” he declared. “I don’t think there’s anything between Dan Parslow, David McGurk and Chris Smith.

“Jamal Fyfield wants to play there too and, even though I see him playing somewhere else, it means I have four good centre-halves to choose from. I decided to go with Chris Smith and Dave McGurk at Ebbsfleet but I couldn’t tell Pars they were any better than him in pre-season because they weren’t.

“I just went with them and they haven’t let me down but Pars will get his chance at some stage and could come in for Lanre to stake his claim.”

City netted for the first time from an Oyebanjo long throw during Tuesday’s 5-1 win at Kettering and, with Patrick McLaughlin hurling the ball in from the opposite flank too, Mills is pleased to have such weapons in his armoury.

“Everywhere you go, somebody seems to have somebody who can hurl it into your box so it’s good to have that option from both sides.”

Mills is hoping the goals can keep flowing from other areas of the pitch with six different marksmen – Jason Walker, McLaughlin, Matty Blair, Andre Boucaud, Adriano Moké and Danny Pilkington – all having netted in the opening four fixtures.

Strikers Jamie Reed and Ashley Chambers are yet to get off the mark with Mills adding: “It’s very pleasing to get that many on the scoresheet already because you don’t want to rely on just one goalscorer.

“Even though Jason has got five for us already, others are weighing in from midfield, which I’m absolutely delighted with because we’ve worked hard on that.”

Fyfield, Blair and Michael Potts have all been put on standby for England ‘C’s September 6 international against India at Dagenham and Redbridge. Ex-City striker Adam Boyes, now at Barrow, has made the full squad.