Martin O'Neill has finally admitted defeat in the battle to get Seamus Coleman for tomorrow's European Championship qualifier against Germany with the northerner now acknowledging that the hope is to have the 26-year-old to be involved against Poland on Sunday.
“Seamus won’t be playing in this game,” said the Ireland manager at this afternoon’s pre-match press conference in Abbotstown. “He’s worked really hard and done really well, though, and I expect him to be utterly fine for Sunday.”
O'Neill refused to confirm any starters for his team but he said that both Wes Hoolahan and Cyrus Christie came through training this morning without any problems and said that both of them are available for selection.
The Derby County right back, he suggested, had visibly grown in confidence since his strong showing against Gibraltar last month and the impression given was that he is happy to start the 23 year-old, who, he says, “has the makings of a really fine player,” against the world champions.
Robbie Keane attended the press conference and made clear that he feels he could play despite his late arrival from the United States in the wake of the birth of his second child. "I'm always ready," said the Irish captain. "Otherwise I wouldn't be here."
Keane insisted that neither the team’s 6-1 defeat by Germany the last time they came to Dublin nor the 1-1 draw in Gelsenkirchen would have a significant influence on Ireland’s approach to this game. “The players don’t talk about the past really,” he said.”But it does give you confidence that you can get a draw against the world champions and we know that we are capable of getting something out of this game, there is absolutely no question about that.”
O’Neill, meanwhile, reiterated that he would take a place in the play-offs now if it was offer but added: “That does that mean that we are simply going to accept defeat in these games. Absolutely not. We’re playing a Germany side full of players that play Champions League football, who have won the World Cup but we are going to go out there and fight. We are going to show our own self-belief.”
