The Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson is expected to recall Josh Cullen for the Nations League trips to Helsinki and Athens but Will Smallbone is set to miss out through injury.
The Irish squad to play Finland next Thursday and Greece on Sunday week will be announced at lunchtime on Thursday.
Following a pair of demoralising 2-0 defeats to England and Greece in Dublin last month, Hallgrímsson laid out a similar strategy to what his predecessor Stephen Kenny attempted in 2023.
“Confidence comes with knowing your team-mates,” said Hallgrímsson. “That connection is lacking. The solution for that is to find the players we want and just [keep] playing them.”
At crucial junctures during last year’s Euro 2024 qualification campaign, Kenny lost the currently injured Ireland captain Séamus Coleman, Chiedozie Ogbene and Evan Ferguson. Hallgrímsson may face similar challenges.
Cullen has started three matches in the Burnley midfield since missing the September internationals but
the hamstring injury Smallbone suffered against Greece ruled him out of Southampton’s last three Premier League matches, and he remains a doubt to feature against Arsenal on Saturday. Another midfielder, Jayson Molumby, has played just 27 minutes for West Bromwich Albion since covering for Cullen at the Aviva Stadium.
Hallgrímsson also observed last month: “We don’t have a high-profile player like in the past, like Roy Keane, playing at the highest level so if we want to grow, it is as a collective. Hopefully players will be fitter [in October], hopefully Brighton will play Evan [Ferguson] more as he will be a huge asset for us when he is fit.”
Ferguson returns to Ireland camp with 22 minutes across three Premier League outings and an hour in the EFL Cup against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
If form trumps reputation, Troy Parrott can expect to add to his 23 Irish caps after being benched against England and Greece when Hallgrímsson used Sammie Szmodics, Adam Idah, Kasey McAteer, Callum Robinson, Ogbene and Ferguson in attacking positions.
Parrot excelled in the Dutch Eredivisie last season, scoring 17 goals for Excelsior to earn a permanent move from Tottenham Hotspur to AZ Alkmaar, where he has six goals in eight starts, including a penalty on his Europa League debut.
The 22-year-old is expected to start on Thursday night against Athletic Bilbao at the San Mamés Stadium.
Adam Idah also bagged a European goal for Celtic recently, in the Champions League against Slovan Bratislava, followed by a neat finish in the 6-0 defeat of St Johnstone last weekend as the 23-year-old settles into life as Kyogo Furuhashi’s understudy.
The other attackers available to Hallgrímsson – Tom Cannon, Michael Obafemi, Szmodics, Ogbene and Robinson – have one goal combined, by Robinson, in the EFL Championship or Premier League since the defeat to Greece.
McAteer has not appeared in a Leicester City squad since the English-born winger became an international last month.
Before hosting Ireland at the Karaiskakis Stadium in Athens, Ivan Jovanović's Greek side face England at Wembley next Thursday night at the same time Ireland play Finland.
With Coleman injured again, the leadership void in the squad could be filled by John Egan who has recovered from an Achilles surgery. If Egan’s four games as an unused substitute at Burnley are not considered grounds for a recall, Nathan Collins could be named Ireland captain on a permanent basis.
Jason Knight was recently made club captain by Bristol City manager Liam Manning. Last weekend Knight belied his 5ft 6in height with a headed goal to secure a point at Swansea City.
It will be interesting to see if the Irish management, where Hallgrímsson is joined by two former defenders John O’Shea and Paddy McCarthy, stick with Andrew Omobamidele and Jake O’Brien, despite the young centre halves being unable to command any game time at Nottingham Forest and Everton.
The alternative is to bring back Shane Duffy who has been an ever-present for Norwich City this season.
There is an opportunity for Festy Ebosele to take advantage of the Coleman injury and Matt Doherty’s lacklustre performances by earning a start at right back in Helsinki. On loan to Watford from Udinese, the 22-year-old scored against Sunderland last Saturday.
