IRELAND MANAGER MARTIN O’Neill will take an inexperienced 19-man squad to New Jersey to take on Mexico this week.
The Boys in Green play a friendly at Metlife Stadium on Thursday (1am kick-off Irish time), before returning to Dublin to take on Uruguay next Sunday ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Austria on 11 June.
A selection of the panel trained at Fota Island this week, with Burnley defender Kevin Long, Preston midfielder Alan Browne and West Ham teenager Declan Rice involved with the senior set-up for the first time.
And while Rice has been left out for the US trip, both Long and Browne could make senior debuts after retaining their spots.
Goalkeepers Darren Randolph and Colin Doyle have recently linked up with the group along with James McClean. but several first-team players are being rested.
John Egan (Brentford), Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), Andy Boyle and Daryl Horgan (both Preston North End) won their first caps in the recent friendly with Iceland, and all four are included.
The list is short on strikers with just Ipswich Town’s David McGoldrick and Daryl Murphy of Newcastle United named.
Ireland squad to play Mexico
Goalkeepers: Darren Randolph, Colin Doyle
Defenders: Cyrus Christie, Alex Pearce, Richard Keogh, Shane Duffy, Andy Boyle, Kevin Long, John Egan
Midfielders: Eunan O’Kane, Alan Browne, Daryl Horgan, Conor Hourihane, Wes Hoolahan, Stephen Gleeson, Callum O’Dowda, James McClean
Forwards: David McGoldrick, Daryl Murphy
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