Friendly international: Luxembourg v Republic of Ireland, Stade de Luxembourg, Tuesday, 7.45pm – Live on RTÉ 2
Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson invited the travelling media to watch the Monday morning session at Stade de Luxembourg, where the bones of a potential line-up played the rest of his 24-man panel.
Bosun Lawal and John Joe Patrick Finn anchored midfield for the orange bibs but neither is expected to win a first cap against the Grand Duchy, certainly not from the start.
The other nine on show, however, could feature when Hungary come to Dublin for the crucial opening World Cup qualifier on September 6th.
Brentford’s new goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher is a certainty, although Bristol City’s Max O’Leary might make his debut as a half-time substitute against Luxembourg on Tuesday night.
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The back four that started Friday’s 1-1 draw with Senegal – Matt Doherty, skipper Nathan Collins, Dara O’Shea and Robbie Brady – is expected to see one change, with Liam Scales replacing O’Shea. The Celtic defender lost his place after being sent off against England in November 2024.
Everton’s Jake O’Brien remains an option at both right back and centre half.
Patrick Finn (21), who was born and raised in Spain and whose father is from Mayo, has some developing to do at French club Reims before Hallgrímsson will cap him. Arguably, 22-year-old Lawal has a higher ceiling.
Regardless, Jason Knight and the newly capped Killian Phillips are set to feature in central midfield, with Philips expected to make way for Josh Cullen come September.
Kasey McAteer’s goalscoring performance against Senegal should keep him attacking off the right, a position that the injured Chiedozie Ogbene and the available Festy Ebosele are also pushing to fill.
On the left, Robbie Brady remains vital to the cause, taking most of the frees-kicks and switching from fullback to winger when Ireland have possession.
Under Hallgrímsson, the formation appears set as 4-4-1-1 in defence and 3-4-2-1 in attack.
The Icelander’s preferred system suggests another run for Will Smallbone and Evan Ferguson, playing in behind Troy Parrott, who has recovered from a bug, with Adam Idah returning to the bench.
Finn Azaz’s creativity in the March victories over Bulgaria suggests his inclusion against Hungary. Azaz, like Cullen, has been given a break this summer.
“Everything we are doing is preparation for [the qualifiers], that is going to come around quickly,” said Hallgrímsson.
The debate about whether to play two attacking midfielders behind Ferguson or Idah, or reward Parrott’s best ever club season after he scored 20 goals for Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, will run beyond September.
Hallgrímsson has expressed concerns about the level of opposition Scales and Idah face in the Scottish Premiership, mainly because Celtic dominate possession in most games, although he commended Idah’s “defensive” work against Senegal.
“They are different kinds of strikers, good hold-up players, good link-in players, going in behind, it depends on what game we are going to play,” he said. “The strikers will probably fit the game but it’s really good to have healthy competition up front.
“That’s one of the reasons we did this camp, and left out some key players [Cullen and Azaz], to have new faces, to give them a chance to show what they can do and to increase the depth in the squad.”
In a rare turn of events, an injury update from the Ireland camp could impact Friday’s Dublin derby between Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers at Tolka Park.
Concerns over Rovers defender Josh Honohan and Ipswich Town midfielder Jack Taylor prompted Hallgrímsson to add Lawal to the squad for Tuesday’s friendly.
“We were lucky that [Lawal] was in Dublin when we had these two injury scares and the next morning he was [at training in Abbotstown]. That shows his dedication, just to say ‘yes’ and come.”
Honohan needed a scan over the weekend before declaring himself fit for training on Monday.
There is added value to this fixture, coming four days after the Senegal game in Dublin, as the schedule is similar to Ireland’s quick turnaround after the Hungary match, when they’ll travel to Yerevan to face Armenia on September 9th.
And remember, under Stephen Kenny in June 2022, Ireland lost a Nations League tie in Armenia.
“Luxembourg have had the same coach [Luc Holtz] for a long time, really consistent in team selection, so it’s more like playing a club team,” Hallgrímsson added. “I wouldn’t look at it as a shock to the nation if we would not get a good result here. It’s that good a team that a win here would be really good for us at this stage. I hope nobody is taking them lightly.”
Holtz is dealing with a sustained controversy around the continued selection of striker Gerson Rodrigues, who is serving an 18-month suspended sentence for domestic violence.
The Luxembourg manager previously stumbled into a war of words with Kenny – after the 3-0 Ireland win in 2021 – when he repeatedly described the Irish style as “British”.
IRELAND (v Luxembourg, possible): Kelleher; Doherty, Collins, Scales; McAteer, Knight, Phillips, Brady; Smallbone, Ferguson; Parrott.
