FAI National League: Robbie Doyle may make his competitive debut for National League champions Bohemians against his former club, UCD, this evening with manager Stephen Kenny still waiting to establish whether last season's leading scorer, Glen Crowe, will be fit.
Crowe has recovered from the knee injury that sidelined him for the championship run-in last season but is suffering from a groin strain. The 25-year-old trained this week but Kenny remains unsure whether he will be 100 per cent for the visit of Paul Doolin's men to Dalymount Park.
Kenny has been impressed by Doyle's performances in pre-season and would have no qualms bout throwing the newcomer in alongside Paul Keegan up front. "He's probably been our best player over the past few weeks; he's a good lad and I think the opportunity to play full time is just what he needed. He's done well with Paul in pre-season and I'm sure they'll be fine against UCD if they end up playing together again."
The champions will also be without the suspended Stephen Caffrey, which may mean a start in central midfield for Fergal Harkin.
Asked about how difficult it would be to retain the title, Kenny admitted to being a little curious himself. "I feel we're strong, although until Thomas Heary arrives back from Huddersfield we don't have a lot of cover for either full back so you need a bit of luck too.
"But the bottom line is that I really don't know, I'm new to the situation myself and it's going to take a while before we see how it all settles down."
Because of the new licensing regulations there will be no cash taken at the stiles for Bohemians games this season and supporters are urged to turn up early for this evening's game in order to buy their tickets from the caravans outside Dalymount Park.
Shelbourne kick off their campaign away to Waterford where Pat Fenlon will check on the fitness of Tony McCarthy before naming his staring line up. "Basically everybody is fit," says Fenlon, "but Tony took a slight knock last week and while we're a little short on defensive cover we might not risk him.
"I'm looking forward to it, though. I think we'll see another improvement in the standard this year with probably the big Dublin clubs and Cork all in contention while the Waterfords and UCDs will be well capable of taking points from anyone. It's going to be interesting."
After an intensely difficult close season Drogheda's Harry McCue is annoyed to find himself without six players for his side's game with Shamrock Rovers at Richmond Park this evening.
Five are suspended while Mark Dempsey, who missed much of last season, is ruled out by a foot injury. But it the loss of Mark Quinless and Danny O'Connor that is irritating McCue.
"I think it's unfair they're suspended for cards they picked up in last season's play-off matches," says the Drogheda boss. "Those were games none of the other teams had to play and I don't think they should be counted when it comes to suspensions. It's one thing for a player sent off in the first leg of the play-off to be out for the second but for the suspension to carry over into the new season seems crazy to me, it's like an extra punishment for finishing second bottom."
Rovers, whose former skipper Pat Scully looks certain to start for Drogheda this evening, will also be without the suspended James Keddy and Stephen McGuinness but new signings Barry Ryan, Alan Reynolds and Liam Kelly are all in contention to make their competitive debuts.
It has been confirmed, meanwhile, that Sunderland's Mark Rossiter ruptured his cruciate ligament while playing for the Ireland under-21s in Albania last week.
"I had a scan on Saturday morning and I was told then it was the cruciate," said the former Sligo Rovers player.
"I'll have an operation in the next three or four weeks and it will mean I'll miss the first three or four months of next season." The injury is a severe blow to the player who made his first team debut at Sunderland this season.
IRELAND Under-16 (panel for next week's Montaigu Tournament, France): McMahon, Walsh, O'Dea, O'Carroll (Home Farm), Duggan, Kelly, Bracken (Lourdes Celtic), Hayes, Stapleton (Cherry Orchard), Weir, Fitzgerald (Belvedere), Clarke (Maymount Celtic), Supple (Unattached), Synnott (Ipswich Town), Morris (Leeds United), Stokes (Shelbourne), Nolan (Waterford Bohemians). Ireland will play Portugal, Japan and Italy.
IRELAND WOMEN'S U/19 (squad for European Championship second round qualifiers against England (April 15th), Denmark (April 17th) and Spain (April 19th), Bedfordshire: S Byrne (St James's Gate), M Casserly (Oldcastle Hibs), C Crinnion (Peamount), M Curtin (Lifford), E Dunne (ALSAA), O Haslam (Leeds Utd), J Horan (Borris St Kevins), E Malone, S McNamara, S Moylan (all Lifford), R Mulvaney (Templeogue Utd), E Nevin (Kiltimagh/Knock), S O'Connor (St Catherine's), A O'Loughlin (Mountmellick Utd), J Shiels (Eureka Utd), K Taylor (St James's Gate), A Toolin (Peamount), M Waldron (St James's Gate).
