Stephen Kenny is expected to go with an attacking lineup as his side bid to secure a much-needed win
Gavin Bazunu did little wrong against Greece and so will almost certainly retain his spot as Ireland number one, with Mark Travers and Max O’Leary held in reserve.
That means two attacking full-backs in the form of Matt Doherty and Ryan Manning, with Liam Scales preferred over Nathan Collins, who was hooked at half-time after a couple of mistakes in the Greece game. Festy Ebosele, on the other hand, has started six matches in Serie A with Udinese, so Stephen Kenny may be tempted to throw him in given his superior game time to Doherty at club level.
You suspect Will Smallbone may be the best fit alongside him, as someone who can play as a central midfielder but also has an eye for a goal and possesses attacking instincts and decent ability on set pieces. A big turning point was introducing Mikey Johnston at the break to provide more width in place of Nathan Collins, with the substitute scoring the opening goal of what was ultimately a comfortable 3-0 win.
Up top, there may be a rare chance to see a combination of Evan Ferguson and Adam Idah, who will both offer plenty of physical presence in the box in a game where the opposition are likely to sit extremely deep, restrict space and frustrate their opponents.
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