Stephen Kenny names his Ireland squad today for the upcoming Aviva Stadium double-header against Latvia and France.
hile next Wednesday’s friendly against Latvia provides a chance for fringe players to impress, the real business begins on Monday week as World Cup runners-up France visit for Ireland’s opening Euro 2024 qualifier.
With Les Bleus missing the injured Paul Pogba, and Hugo Lloris and Raphael Varane recently retiring, Ireland fans will be hoping for another famous night in Dublin 4 as the road to Germany 2024 begins.
Here we look at the likely new faces and the old ones who could miss out.
Three possible call-ups
Mikey Johnston, Vitoria Guimaraes (On loan from Celtic)
As first revealed by the Irish Independent, Johnston switched his international allegiance from Scotland to Ireland and is in line for a first call-up.
The 23-year-old got the green light from FIFA last week and qualifies through his grandfather from Derry.
Glasgow native Johnston began his career as a left winger but can also play on the right. He made his Celtic debut in May 2017 under Brendan Rodgers and made 80 first-team appearances over five seasons.
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In a bid to find his form again, he moved on loan to Portuguese top-flight side Vitoria Guimaraes last September. There, he has made 22 appearances to date, scoring three goals and contributing three assists, with the club currently fifth in the Primeira Liga.
“He has attributes that, to be honest, we probably don’t have in the squad. A winger of that ilk, a right-footed left winger who can dribble and take people inside or outside,” said Kenny of Johnston this month.
Finn Azaz, Plymouth Argyle (On loan from Aston Villa)
The former Ireland U-21 midfielder has excelled on loan at Plymouth this season, helping them into second in League One.
The 22-year-old enjoyed a productive loan spell with Newport County last season, registering seven goals and eight assists in 45 appearances, and has followed that up with another impressive season in the southwest with the Pilgrims.
Azaz has registered four goals and seven assists in his last 13 starts, helping his side into the automatic promotion places despite being sidelined for three months recently with an ankle injury. Azaz, who is also eligible for Israel, typically plays as an attacking midfielder and can also play in central midfield.
Sammie Szmodics, Blackburn Rovers
Szmodics could be in line for selection after finally receiving his Irish passport last month. The 27-year-old midfielder has been called up before, for a Spain training camp in June 2021, but injury ruled him out of the subsequent friendlies against Andorra and Hungary that month.
The Colchester native qualifies for Ireland though his late grandmother from Longford.
Szmodics also hit a vital goal in Blackburn’s surprise FA Cup win over Leicester last month, and faces a quarter-final date against John Egan’s Sheffield United on Sunday. While facing competition from the likes of Will Smallbone and Jamie McGrath, Kenny could give him the nod.
Three in line for the axe
Shane Duffy, Fulham
Last week, the Ireland boss admitted 55-cap Duffy is on the brink of losing his place. Apart from missing last November’s window due to personal reasons, he has been named in every squad since July 2017.
However, Duffy is at risk of being dropped after a frustrating spell at club level – falling out of favour with Brighton last season, before moving to Fulham where he has completed just two-90 minutes games this season, both cup ties against Sunderland and Crawley Town.
Liam Scales, Aberdeen (On loan from Celtic)
The 24-year-old earned his third call-up last November but failed to win a first cap against Norway and Malta. The Wicklow native made 13 appearances for Celtic last season at left-full, before his arrival at Aberdeen where he has made 28 starts to date.
Scales’ issue is that Ireland are already stacked at centre-back, while the recent resurgence of Ryan Manning at Swansea provides stiff competition too. James McClean, Robbie Brady and Callum O’Dowda can also fill the left wing-back role, and Scales may lose out on this occasion.
Mark Travers, Bournemouth
Travers hasn’t featured since his disappointing competitive debut in Serbia two years ago and faces a real prospect of being dropped for the first time in 12 months after being replaced as first-choice Bournemouth goalkeeper by new signing Neto.