Daryl Murphy, David Meyler and Cyrus Christie are set to get 11th-hour opportunities to impress Martin O'Neill as the manager casts a final eye over his options in Cork before confirming his squad late in the evening.
O’Neill had been hoping that Meyler would get a proper run out for Hull City in Saturday’s English Championship playoff final; in the event, the 27-year-old only made it off the bench five minutes from time as his side defended a single goal lead to win the game and reclaim their place in the Premier League.
As things stand, the Corkman’s place on the plane to France would look to be hanging in the balance. Having started the campaign well – he came on late in the opening game against Georgia but then started against both Gibraltar and Germany – he slipped to the sidelines, getting 20 minutes or so in the home match against the World champions, while passing every other group game as an unused substitute on the bench.
Still, his performance in Gelsenkirchen, where he stood in for Seamus Coleman at right back was outstanding and O'Neill has acknowledged that there is a strong case to be made for him.
Big boost
“He’s been great for us,” he says. “He’s been a big boost, he’s very popular and all of those things and threw everything into the game in Germany and the point that helped us get there.”
If Meyler does make the cut, then the most obviously potential loser would be Cyrus Christie with O’Neill potentially marking Meyler down as providing cover for the full-back position. However, the young Derby defender was picked twice to play there ahead of the midfielder over the latter stages of the campaign and the manager’s tone when talking about him suggests he is on course to make the cut.
Murphy looks on course too and he is sure to start at Turner’s Cross tomorrow, where O’Neill would love to see the 33-year-old striker break his international scoring duck.
“I think that would be a big boost for him,” he says. “It would be nice for him to get off the mark because the longer you go without scoring a goal, if you’re playing international football, obviously the more concerning it is for him.”
Robbie Keane may feature from the outset too and David McGoldrick seems like to likely to feature again. "He's a strong lad," says O'Neill of the Ipswich player, who would doubtless welcome another chance to shine after a fairly indifferent showing on Friday against the Dutch. "He's got nice ability,but I thought he got a little bit tired towards the end of the first half a wee bit. He got a second wind in the second half."
Training again
Ciaran Clark is training again and could feature and there is some suggestion that James McCarthy may take part in the squad's session at Turner's Cross at 4.30 this afternoon. The Everton midfielder will almost certainly miss the game against Belarus but make the squad for the finals.
“Ciaran Clark is doing okay. James is still feeling the injury a little bit. Still feeling it. Whether he’s fit to play on Tuesday or not, I don’t know. I said to you before I didn’t think it was a big concern – James is one of those lads who likes to play and wants to maybe participate in the games.
“I sometimes think that you can’t be thinking that every single player will be alright for every one of the games. In an ideal world, it would be great. But James I think has earned the right to be one of those to be considered at least until the very last moment.”
