Goalkeeper/defence
The goalkeeping call was never in doubt really — Gavin Bazunu will almost certainly come into the side in place of Caoimhin Kelleher barring a late injury.
Of the back three that started against Latvia, Andrew Omobamidele is the most likely player to make way. He hasn’t been starting regularly for Norwich recently and looked a little rusty on Wednesday.
John Egan has generally been one of the first names on the teamsheet under Kenny and will likely come back into the side.
There is a case to be made for bringing Seamus Coleman (assuming he is ultimately deemed fit to play) back into the three, with Nathan Collins struggling for game time at Wolves, but Kenny will probably keep faith with the same defence that started his last big game against Scotland, which means Dara O’Shea — who has been having a solid season at West Brom, playing every minute so far of their Championship campaign — will keep his place.
Wing-backs
Arguably the hardest area in the team to predict. Matt Doherty has not been playing regularly for Atletico Madrid and seemed to lack sharpness at times against Latvia. Nonetheless, the Dubliner captained the team and is still playing at a far higher level than the majority of squad members so it would be a surprise if he was dropped.
There has been debate over whether Stephen Kenny will start a tried and trusted player in James McClean or the less experienced Callum O’Dowda, who had a good game and scored on Wednesday. But it’s not inconceivable that neither player features from the outset and the manager plays Coleman at right wing-back and Doherty on the left, as was the case in the World Cup qualifier away to Portugal.
You could argue Coleman no longer has the pace and energy to play wing-back at 34, but the Killybegs native has been in good form at right-back for Everton recently.
Moreover, Coleman is better defensively than any of the other wing-back alternatives. With Kylian Mbappe expected to play on the left side of France’s attack, Nathan Collins (assuming he plays as the right-sided centre-half) will need all the help he can get, and Coleman is probably the best man for the job in that sense. He also will be in a confident mood, having recently scored a goal-of-the-season contender, so his attacking threat should not be dismissed either.
Midfield
Given that they were both rested on Wednesday, you would expect that Jason Knight and Josh Cullen will come back into the Ireland XI on Monday. Cullen — who has quickly established himself as a key player for Vincent Kompany’s Championship table-toppers Burnley — simply always starts competitive games under Kenny these days if available, while Knight provides an energy in midfield that few can match, and will likely be needed against a France team who are expected to dominate possession. Jayson Molumby has similar qualities to the Derby man, so will probably keep his place in the side. The likes of Jeff Hendrick, Alan Browne and Jamie McGrath may well be called from the bench at some stage to bring a greater sense of control and creativity to proceedings.
The one spanner in the works is Will Smallbone, whose man-of-the-match display on Wednesday means he must at least come into consideration. You could feasibly slot the Stoke footballer into the midfield, or play him in a more advanced role alongside Knight and a lone striker while adding Hendrick or another alternative in midfield.
But Kenny will probably decide against using Smallbone at the start at least, and go with more experienced options. A second cap off the bench, however, is a distinct possibility.
Attack
Evan Ferguson looked to be tiring towards the end of his first Ireland start at home to Latvia, but it was an impressive goalscoring display for the 18-year-old and that performance, coupled with his excellent form at Brighton this season, means there is a justifiable clamour for him to start.
It’s not an absolute certainty, particularly if Adam Idah recovers from injury, but the Brighton starlet looks to be in pole position to feature at this stage.
Who takes the second spot is also debatable. Michael Obafemi has not been starting regularly since joining Burnley in January and looked a little sluggish at times on Wednesday.
Chiedozie Ogbene, who scored the winner off the bench against Latvia, is probably the most likely option. While probably not as much of a goal threat, he offers more off the ball than Obafemi, while he will be useful in drifting to the right wing, where he often plays for Rotherham, and exploiting the considerable space down the left, which France tend to leave owing to Mbappe’s reluctance to track back.
The game has probably come too early for Mikey Johnston, as impressive as he looked off the bench on Wednesday, but the Scottish-born player may well be called from the bench if Ireland need a goal in the latter stages.
Troy Parrott, meanwhile, will also probably be among the substitutes — his form for Preston hasn’t been great and he didn’t do enough in the short amount of time he was given to impress on Wednesday to warrant a start.
Possible Ireland XI: Bazunu; O’Shea, Egan, Collins; Coleman, Doherty; Knight, Cullen, Molumby; Ferguson, Ogbene.
Ireland squad:
Goalkeepers: Gavin Bazunu (Southampton), Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth).
Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Atletico Madrid), Andrew Omobamidele (Norwich City), Nathan Collins (Wolverhampton Wanderers), John Egan (Sheffield United), Dara O’Shea (West Bromwich Albion), Callum O’Dowda (Cardiff City), James McClean (Wigan Athletic).
Midfielders: Josh Cullen (Burnley), Jayson Molumby (West Bromwich Albion), Jeff Hendrick (Reading), Alan Browne (Preston North End), Jason Knight (Derby County), Will Smallbone (Stoke City, on loan from Southampton), Jamie McGrath (Dundee United), Mark Sykes (Bristol City).
Forwards: Chiedozie Ogbene (Rotherham United), Michael Obafemi (Burnley), Evan Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion), Adam Idah (Norwich City), Troy Parrott (Preston North End, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Will Keane (Wigan Athletic), Mikey Johnston (Vitoria, on loan from Celtic).
