Ireland v Luxembourg: What time, what channel and all you need to know about Saturday's World Cup qualifier

Goalkeeping coach Dean Kiely with goalkeepers, from left, Gavin Bazunu, Kieran OHara and Mark Travers during a Republic of Ireland training session at the FAI National Training Centre in Abbotstown, Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

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March 26 2021 02:35 PM

Ireland's World Cup qualifying campaign takes its second step on Saturday evening with Stephen Kenny still searching for his first win as Ireland boss.

Here's all you need to know about the game.

What time is kick-off?

7.45PM at the Aviva Stadium on Landowne Road.

Where can I watch it?

The game will be shown on RTE2 and Sky Sports Main Event with coverage on starting at 7PM and 7.30PM respectively. We'll also be live-blogging all the action as it happens here on Independent.ie.

What will Ireland's starting line-up look like?

Aaron Connolly is the latest of Kenny's squad to join a lengthy injury list, after lasting just over an hour in Wednesday's defeat to Serbia having joined up with the squad carrying a knock.

Connolly was assessed in the Irish team hotel last night after a recovery day, with the team back training fully today in a quick turnaround ahead of the encounter.

Aaron Connolly ruled out of Ireland's must-win Luxembourg clash

James Collins and Shane Long have been on standby in case Connolly missed out although Kenny could opt to rejig his formation regardless. He was keen to use Connolly in central areas and he felt his partnership with Callum Robinson was a good fit for a 3-5-2 approach.

However, the Ireland boss may look to go with a central striker and two wide players against Luxembourg which would also potentially bring James McClean and Robbie Brady into the equation as left-sided options.

With both Darren Randolph and Caoimhin Kelleher still ruled out, Kenny has a big call to make in goal after a difficult competitive debut for Mark Travers in Belgrade with the equally inexperienced Gavin Bazunu and Kieran O'Hara waiting in the wings.

Goalkeepers: Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth), Gavin Bazunu (Rochdale, on loan from Manchester City), Kieran O'Hara (Burton Albion).

Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Shane Duffy (Celtic, on loan from Brighton), Enda Stevens (Sheffield United), Ciaran Clark (Newcastle United), Dara O'Shea (West Bromwich Albion), Ryan Manning (Swansea City), Cyrus Christie (Nottingham Forest), Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers).

Midfielders: Alan Browne (Preston North End), Jeff Hendrick (Newcastle United), Jayson Molumby (Preston North End, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion), Jason Knight (Derby County), Josh Cullen (Anderlecht), Conor Coventry (West Ham United), Robbie Brady (Burnley), James McClean (Stoke City), Daryl Horgan (Wycombe Wanderers), Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth).

Strikers: Callum Robinson (West Bromwich Albion), Aaron Connolly (Brighton and Hove Albion), Shane Long (AFC Bournemouth, on loan from Southampton), James Collins (Luton Town), Troy Parrott (Ipswich Town, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur).

What about Luxembourg?

Luxembourg have leaned on their government to intervene in a row over release of players for international duty and they will now have key midfielder Vincent Thill available.

The 36-times-capped player, one of three Thill brothers in the squad to face Ireland, had been denied permission by his Portuguese employer Nacional to report for the national team, with his Madeira-based club claiming that the player would have to quarantine upon his return and miss key games in their relegation battle.

There was a blow for the Duchy as Dutch-based defender Mica Pinto picked up an injury in Wednesday’s friendly defeat to Qatar and misses out. Luxembourg, ranked 98th in the world, come to Dublin on a run of three defeats and a draw in their last four games.

What are the pundits saying?

Daniel McDonnell says that: "Any temptation to declare that three at the back is here to stay has to be tempered by the number of informed voices who reckon it will not be employed against Luxembourg tomorrow.

"Perhaps what Serbia may represent is a broader transition to a new era of flexibility, where a horses-for-courses approach is taken to each fixture as opposed to a rigid preference laying out the side regardless of the opposition."

Daniel McDonnell: Opinion Kenny must ensure light of Belgrade is no false dawn

Former Ireland centre-half Richard Dunne isn't getting carried away by Wednesday's performance and says that "“Alright” is not good enough in a World Cup qualifier and no matter how good the performance was, it was another defeat and we can’t take any more moral victories.

"You can’t keep taking positives out of defeats, it’s all about getting results and the team didn’t manage that. We just didn’t have that quality in the final third, and the team needs to improve, hopefully starting Saturday night at home to Luxembourg."