Gavin Cooney

PRAGUE IS SUDDENLY upon us, with Heimir Hallgrimsson naming his squad tomorrow, just a week ahead of the game itself. 

Uefa allow competing nations name a 23-man squad on matchday, and unlike his predecessors, Hallgrimsson ideally prefers to name a 23-man squad in advance of the camp, to avoid telling players that they wouldn’t even make the bench on matchnight.

With Liam Scales and Festy Ebosele suspended for the Czechia game but available for the subsequent game against either Denmark or North Macedonia, however, Hallgrimsson will likely include both in a larger, 25-man squad tomorrow. 

Let’s take a look at some of the key questions in advance of the squad announcement. 

Who is guaranteed to be in? And who is definitely out? 

All of Caoimhín Kelleher, Mark Travers Seamus Coleman, Nathan Collins, Dara O’Shea, Ryan Manning, Jayson Molumby, Finn Azaz, Jason Knight, Jack Taylor, Troy Parrott, and Chiedozie Ogbene are a lock to be included. 

The nightmare for Ireland is Josh Cullen’s knee injury. He hasn’t been left out of an Ireland team for which he has been available in five years. Evan Ferguson will be out too, as he recovers from ankle surgery, with Mikey Johnston absent too. 

Gavin Bazunu is doubtful, given he has not played since January through injury. 

Okay, how does Hallgrimsson replace Cullen?

With great difficulty, because there are very few midfielders available to Ireland who have Cullen’s blend of experience and positional discipline. Molumby and Taylor will be included tomorrow, and Jason Knight will likely return too, having missed the November games through injury. Conor Coventry made his senior debut off the bench against Portugal and will likely be named again tomorrow, as he is the closest profile match to Cullen.

Though they are not like-for-like Cullen replacements, there are further options. Will Smallbone has made a tentative return from a long-term hamstring injury for Millwall recently and thus is in contention, while Alan Browne – not selected for Ireland since September 2024 – has made a strong case for his inclusion by putting together a run of consistent minutes with Middlesbrough, albeit occasionally at right-back and off the right wing. 

Jamie McGrath has consistently floated around the fringes of Hallgrimsson’s selection and is available, while Killian Phillips has paid the price for his cameo in September’s loss in Armenia and currently appears well out of the picture. 

Mark Sykes’ versatility may earn him a recall given he offers an attacking option at right wing-back in Ebosele’s absence.

And who comes in for Ferguson?

Ferguson missed the November window too, meaning Johnston is the only forward player unavailable from across those two madcap, magnificent games as Adam Idah is fit again and available.

Sammie Szmodics – injured for the October and November windows – made a curiously abrupt exit from Ipswich but has been playing regularly and chipping in with a couple of goals for new club Derby, and is a major contender to return to the squad, if all involved are happy with the probability that his initial impact will come off the bench, because Parrott, Azaz, and Ogbene are Ireland’s starting forwards. 

Kasey McAteer has done nothing to press the case for his inclusion, while the wildcard option is the recently-eligible, English-born Harvey Vale, now playing at QPR having come through the ranks at Chelsea. 

Anything else to look out for? 

Hallgrimsson finally has a few options at left wing-back, having had to unearth the likes of Kevin O’Toole and Will Ferry across the qualifying campaign. Robbie Brady – player of the year for 2024 – is finally back from a long, long lay-off, but would still be a risky inclusion given he has played only a handful of minutes. Callum O’Dowda is fit again too, so he may get the nod ahead of Brady. 

The Irish manager is also tripping over centre-back options: Collins, O’Shea, Scales, and O’Brien aside, all of John Egan, Jimmy Dunne, and Andrew Omobamidele are playing regularly and battling for inclusion. Egan’s return to the squad last October is credited with helping the post-Yerevan turnaround, so his attitude and experience may swing a tight call.