Premier League defenders Matt Doherty and Jake O’Brien have been left out of the Republic of Ireland squad to face Finland and Greece in the Nations League next week.
Doherty, capped 46 times since 2018, was widely criticised for his performances last month against England and Greece at the Aviva Stadium. Ireland lost both ties 2-0.
The 32-year-old is dropped despite injury to fellow right back and Irish captain Séamus Coleman, with Southampton midfielder Will Smallbone also unavailable.
Festy Ebosele is the only right back named in Heimir Hallgrímsson’s 24-man panel with uncapped Luton centre half Mark McGuinness called up ahead of O’Brien.
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Since signing for Everton in the summer, O’Brien only played 26 minutes in the Premier League while McGuinness is an ever present in the EFL Championship.
Hallgrímsson allowed his assistant coaches John O’Shea and Paddy McCarthy to pick the squad in September but the Icelander has stamped his authority on selection ahead of trips to Helsinki for next Thursday’s third Nations League game, followed on October 13th by a fourth meeting Greece in 16 months.
Ireland have lost all three previous meetings with Greece, dropping to 62nd in the world rankings, just eight places off their worst ever position on the Fifa charts.
Josh Cullen returns from injury and, along with Nathan Collins, is a potential captain in place of Coleman, while Jamie McGrath, Finn Azaz and Jack Taylor have forced their way into a group of six midfielders.
West Bromwich Albion winger Mikey Johnston also returns and Kasey McAteer has been retained despite being unable to get into the Leicester City match day squad.
Evan Ferguson, Adah Idah and the in-form Troy Parrott will fight to start up front when the squad comes into camp on Monday before travelling to Helsinki on Tuesday.
Tom Cannon misses out despite scoring four goals on Wednesday night for Stoke City in the 6-1 defeat of Portsmouth.
Cannon’s Stoke team-mate Andrew Moran and Portsmouth’s Mark O’Mahony, both of whom also netted in Wednesday’s Championship fixture, have been named in the 23-man under-21 squad which will face Norway and Italy in the European Championship qualifiers next week.
Having shown good form for St Patrick’s Athletic, Mason Melia gets the call up from manager Jim Crawford, while Tayo Adaramola and Connor O’Brien return to the squad.
The team will be without Bosun Lawal, Zak Gilsenan, Sean Grehan, Conor Carty and Adam Murphy, who are all unavailable due to injury.
Ireland’s under-21s will host Norway at Turner’s Cross on October 11th (kick-off 7pm) before going to Trieste to meet Italy on October 15th (kick-off 5.30pm).
They currently sit second in the Group A standings and a win over Norway will guarantee them a spot in the play-offs.
Republic of Ireland senior squad (Finland & Greece):
Goalkeepers: Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth), Max O’Leary (Bristol City)
Defenders: Festy Ebosele (Watford, on loan from Udinese), Andrew Omobamidele (Nottingham Forest), Nathan Collins (Brentford), Mark McGuinness (Luton Town), Dara O’Shea (Ipswich Town), Liam Scales (Celtic), Callum O’Dowda (Cardiff City), Robbie Brady (Preston North End).
Midfielders: Josh Cullen (Burnley), Jason Knight (Bristol City), Jayson Molumby (West Bromwich Albion), Finn Azaz (Middlesbrough), Jack Taylor (Ipswich Town), Jamie McGrath (Aberdeen).
Forwards: Adam Idah (Celtic), Evan Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion), Chiedozie Ogbene (Ipswich Town), Kasey McAteer (Leicester City), Sammie Szmodics (Ipswich Town), Mikey Johnston (West Bromwich Albion), Troy Parrott (AZ Alkmaar)
Republic of Ireland under-21 squad (Norway & Italy):
Goalkeepers: Tiernan Brooks (Gateshead), Killian Cahill (Brighton & Hove Albion), Josh Keeley (Leyton Orient, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur)
Defenders: James Abankwah (Udinese), Emmanuel Adegboyega (Dundee United, on loan from Norwich City), Tayo Adaramola (Stockport County, on loan from Crystal Palace) Sam Curtis (Peterborough United, on loan from Sheffield United), Anselmo Garcia-MacNulty (PEC Zwolle), Connor O’Brien (Accrington Stanley), Connor O’Riordan (Cambridge United, on loan from Blackburn Rovers), Sean Roughan (Lincoln City)
Midfielders: Baba Adeeko (Wigan Athletic), Matt Healy (Royal Francs Borains), Joe Hodge (Huddersfield Town, on loan from Wolves), Andrew Moran (Stoke City, on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion), Killian Phillips (St. Mirren, on loan from Crystal Palace), Rocco Vata (Watford)
Forwards: Sinclair Armstrong (Bristol City), Aidomo Emakhu (Millwall), Johnny Kenny (Shamrock Rovers), Mason Melia (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Mark O’Mahony (Portsmouth, on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion), Franco Umeh (Crystal Palace)
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