There are some big calls ahead for Heimir Hallgrímsson as he names his Ireland squad to face Czechia in next week’s World Cup playoff.
The most hotly-anticipated Irish game since EURO 2016 is ahead next Thursday, and with some big hitters ruled out through injury and suspension, an already difficult squad selection has become even trickier for Hallgrímsson.
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We’ll keep you posted on the Ireland squad announcement right here, with all the details you need in one place.
When will Heimir Hallgrímsson name his Ireland squad?
Heimir Hallgrímsson’s Ireland squad to face Czechia will be named at 11:30am on Thursday, March 19th.
The Ireland head coach will then face the Irish media in a press conference at 12:20pm; you can track all of the coverage here on Balls.ie.
Who’s expected to be in?
Most of the spine of this Ireland team are expected to be among the names revealed in tomorrow’s squad announcement, with the likes of Caoimhín Kelleher, Nathan Collins, Troy Parrott and co. sure to be included. Séamus Coleman is also expected to be named, despite his lack of minutes at club level since the November window.
Adam Idah has returned to full training with Swansea, so he should be available for selection, as will Sheffield United’s Chiedozie Ogbene.
In a big boost for Heimir Hallgrímsson, Robbie Brady has returned to action with Preston, and is expected to return to the squad. Brady or Callum O’Dowda could feature down the left flank in Prague with Festy Ebosele and Liam Scales suspended.
It also seems as thought Harvey Vale will be part of the squad after his switch from England was confirmed last week, with the news being leaked by the player’s club on Wednesday evening.
Who’s out of the Ireland squad?
Heimir will have to plan without a few pivotal players for this window.
Josh Cullen (ACL) and Evan Ferguson (ankle) have both been ruled out, as has winger Mikey Johnston. This window may also come too soon for Gavin Bazunu, who is recovering from a hip injury, and Bosun Lawal, who returned to training with Stoke this week.
Festy Ebosele and Liam Scales will likely be named in the initial squad, even though they are suspended for the first game of this window.
Czechia team news
Czechia named their squad for the playoff on Tuesday, with star midfielder Pavel Sulc coming through an injury scare to be named among their 25-strong contingent.
The headline names – Patrik Schick, Tomas Soucek, Vladimir Coufal – are all in, but Celtic striker Tomas Cvancara has been left out amid an ongoing disagreement with manager Miroslav Koubek.
Czechia squad
* = uncapped player
Goalkeepers: Lukas Hornicek* (Braga), Martin Jedlicka (Banik Ostrava), Matej Kovar (PSV)
Defenders: Vladimir Coufal (Hoffenheim), Tomas Holes (Slavia Prague), Robin Hranac (Hoffenheim), Stepan Chaloupek (Slavia Prague), David Jurasek (Slavia Prague), Ladislav Krejci (Wolves), Martin Vitik (Bologna), Jaroslav Zeleny (Sparta Prague)
Midfielders: Pavel Bucha* (FC Cincinnati), Lukas Cerv (Viktoria Plzen), Vladimir Darida (Hradec Kralove), Adam Karabec (Lyon), Tomas Ladra (Viktoria Plzen), Lukas Provod (Slavia Prague), Michal Sadilek (Slavia Prague), Tomas Soucek (West Ham), Pavel Sulc (Lyon), Denis Visinsky* (Viktoria Plzen)
Forwards: Tomas Chory (Slavia Prague), Mojmir Chytil (Slavia Prague), Jan Kliment (Sigma Olomouc), Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen)
When is Ireland v Czechia?
Ireland face Czechia at the Fortuna Arena in Prague next Thursday, March 26th at 7:45pm Irish time. The game is live on RTÉ 2.
SEE ALSO: Where Are They Now? The Ireland Team That Took On The Czech Republic In 2006
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