Ireland coach Kevin MacDonald has admitted Steve Staunton would have drafted in a number of League of Ireland players ahead of yesterday's flight to New York but for the fact it would almost certainly have resulted in disruption to the domestic season due to games being postponed.
As it is, defenders Peter Murphy of Carlisle United and Reading's Alan Bennett were called up which, combined with Sean St Ledger's withdrawal, means Staunton is on course to have 21 players available for Wednesday's game against Ecuador at Giants Stadium in New Jersey.
"The situation we are in is that we are bringing a lot of younger players in," acknowledged MacDonald after the squad's final training session in Malahide prior to departure yesterday.
"The only concern you might have is their lack of experience, but how do you get experience without playing?"
The Scot conceded that the likes of Murphy, a free agent who has been linked with a move to Gretna after turning down a new contract with Carlisle, and Bennett, who has not played since Cork City's last game of last season, have benefited from the number of players injured or unavailable.
"There has been a few like that," he said. "But needs must and we have had to call in people who haven't been international players. We need players. It's as simple as that."
He insisted, however, the entire enterprise would be justified if one of the young players took the chance to stake a claim in the squad for the autumn's competitive games.
"Who knows?" he said. "There's always somebody who comes out of the pile that isn't expected and is very, very good."
MacDonald said the idea of selecting several League of Ireland players had been dropped as, with clubs being entitled to postpone a game if even one player is on international duty, it was feared this could prove disruptive.
Asked about Wednesday's opponents, MacDonald observed, "I know one or two of their players who are outstanding footballers. I know their coach is Colombian. Having spoken to Juan Pablo Angel about him, he is a very good coach."
REVISED REPUBLIC OF IRELAND SQUAD
Doyle (Birmingham City), Colgan (Barnsley) Henderson (Preston NE), Kelly (Birmingham City), O'Halloran (Aston Villa), P Murphy (Carlisle Utd), Bennett (Reading), Bruce (Ipswich Town), O'Cearuill (Arsenal), O'Shea (Manchester Utd), Kilbane (Wigan Ath), Potter (Wolves), Gamble (Cork City), Hunt (Reading), Gleeson (Wolves), O'Brien (Newcastle Utd), Long, (K Doyle (both Reading), D Murphy (Sunderland), Stokes (Sunderland), Keogh (Wolves).
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