Bedeviled by injuries and Covid-related absences, here is the Ireland team that Stephen Kenny has selected for tonight's UEFA Nations League clash against Bulgaria in Dublin.
As Stephen Kenny continues to look for the first win of his tenure in charge, he will have good reason to rue further bad luck as he has been forced to select an Ireland team missing a number of key players.
On the back of defeats to England and Wales earlier this month, the latest absence of Callum O'Dowda through injury means that Ireland will be without 14 of the players originally named in Kenny's 26-man squad.
Here's the team set to take on Bulgaria tonight:
Republic of Ireland team to play Bulgaria 🇮🇪 🇧🇬
Randolph
O’Shea Duffy Long Manning
Knight Hourihane Brady
Horgan Collins Curtis— Nathan Murphy (@nathanmurf) November 18, 2020
Throughout Kenny's fairly joyless reign, the only goal scored by his Ireland team thus far came in the reverse fixture against Bulgaria in Sofia. A game that finished 1-1, Shane Duffy's late equalising header gave Ireland a deserved point in Kenny's opening game in charge.
| Ireland's decade-long goal scoring record would have in the most lowly of minnows losing sleep | 😨
Here's an #OTBAM stat-attack from Nathan Murphy 👀 #COYBIG |
Full chat on YT and the OTB Football podcast stream ⚽ | @GilletteUK #MadeOfWhatMatters pic.twitter.com/hl1OHZ0vYF— Off The Ball (@offtheball) November 18, 2020
Since then, this second instalment of the UEFA Nations League has continued to be the source of some frustration for Ireland. Beaten at home and away by Finland, Ireland only managed to take one point from their two games against Wales.
17 November 2020; Manager Stephen Kenny looks up to the weather during a Republic of Ireland training session at the FAI National Training Centre in Abbotstown, Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/SportsfileAmid this disappointment, Kenny has had further cause to rue his Ireland team and their relative profligacy in front of goal.
In a European Championships play-off against a depleted Slovakia, Ireland's impressive play generated plenty of near chances, but no goal. With the sides deadlocked at 0-0 in Bratislava, it was the Slovakians who progressed at Ireland's expense in a penalty shoot-out.
Tonight's game kicks-off at 7.45 pm and you can listen to it LIVE with Nathan Murphy and Stuey Byrne on Off The Ball via the OTB Sports App or OTBSports.com
