Darren Randolph has been ruled out of Ireland’s upcoming World Cup qualification games against Serbia and Luxembourg, Stephen Kenny has confirmed.

He also revealed that current Liverpool backup keeper Caoimhin Kelleher is a doubt, potentially ruling him out of contention of what would be his first senior international cap.

James McCarthy, Jack Byrne, Kieren Westwood and John Egan are also injured, meaning they’ll be unavailable.

In more positive news, Séamus Coleman has been passed fit for the upcoming fixtures as Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti confirmed his availability for their game against Burnley on the weekend.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS

With Randolph, Westwood and Kelleher injured, there aren’t many options to pick from as the first-choice goalkeeper.

In fact, the most experienced option of the lot is Mark Travers. The current Bournemouth goalkeeper made two appearances for the national team in 2019 but hasn’t featured since, mainly due to lack of match time at club level and the presence of Darren Randolph.

Gavin Bazunu is another option and one that would certainly excite many Ireland fans. The 19-year-old goalkeeper has long been considered a top prospect in Ireland despite his age. Bazunu is on loan at Rochdale from Manchester City this season and out of all the realistic choices Ireland have in terms of goalkeepers, he’s arguably in the best form and has played the most games.

That said though, throwing a 19-year-old with no prior involvement in the senior national side into the deep end would be a risk, particularly in games of this magnitude.

Also, if he was to make a mistake leading to a goal, it could be detrimental to his confidence.

Other options that could fill in include Max O’Leary, Jack Bonham, Kieran O’Hara, Rob Elliot and Ian Lawlor.

Darren Randolph ruled out of Ireland’s upcoming World Cup games, according to Stephen Kenny on an Ireland fans Q & A.

— Paul O’Hehir (@paulohehir) March 11, 2021

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In League B’s Group 4, Ireland suffered a 1-0 defeat against Finland in what was another disappointing result for the boys in green. The only goal of the match came through Fredrik Jensen, a man Ireland fans will be familiar with having also scored the winner in the Aviva. The goal was a result of an uncustomary mistake from Darren Randolph, who carelessly gave the ball away which resulted in simple finish. The loss means Ireland remain in 3^rd, but are looming dangerously close to an automatic relegation spot.

Frustrating result in Helsinki

FT | Finland 1-0 Ireland

Jensen’s goal the difference as Ronan Curtis’ header denied in the final minutes #COYBIG | #FINIRL pic.twitter.com/7nnkxtXevC

— FAIreland (@FAIreland) October 14, 2020

Elsewhere in the group, Wales’ late winner against Bulgaria mean they remain on top of the table by 1 point.

In League A, Poland trounced Bosnia with a 3-0 win in Group 1. Bosnia did themselves no favours after getting a man sent off just 14 minutes into the game. Polish talisman Robert Lewandowski exploited Bosnian misfortune by netting a brace. This result means that Poland jump above Italy and Netherlands after they played out a 1-1 draw elsewhere in the group.

Group 2 seen Denmark defeat England in what was a disastrous performance from Harry Maguire. Maguire picked up his second yellow in the 31^st minute which led to Christian Eriksen converting from the spot. His performance will only have further compounded his misery after a turbulent few weeks. England now drop to 3^rd, having been in 1^st before yesterday’s fixtures.

Belgium also defeated Iceland 2-1 with Romelu Lukaku impressing as he scored 2 goals. Belgium have now leapfrogged England to claim 1^st position in the group.

Group 3 standings remained the same as France defeated Croatia and a Diego Jota inspired Portugal comfortably dispatched of Sweden. The newly signed Liverpool man claimed an assist and two goals in what was a man of the match performance, showing that he could do the business in Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence.

There were no group 4 matches played yesterday. Spain remain top of the group on 7 points despite a shock loss to Ukraine on Tuesday. Germany and the aforementioned Ukraine are just one point behind on 6 points.

Back to League B and Norway overcame Northern Ireland by way of a Stuart Dallas own goal in Group 1. Erling Braut Haaland failed to find his form against the North after netting his first international hat trick against Romania on Sunday. He will however be happy with Norway’s league position as they remain 2^nd, only level on points with Austria.

On the topic of Austria, they managed to overcome Romania in a match which ended 1-0.

Scotland retained their 100% unbeaten record in Group 2 with a win against Czech Republic, despite being dominated for much of the game. Ryan Fraser scored the only goal of the game after some great work by Lyndon Dykes to ensure the win.

Israel and Slovakia played out a memorable game in the same group, with a late Eran Zahavi goal awarding Israel a 3-2 scoreline. Zahavi will be taking home the match ball after scoring 2 goals prior to his winner in what was a man of the match performance. He will be hoping to make his mark on the Dutch league having recently signed for PSV Eindhoven.

Hat-trick for Zahavi tonight! #NationsLeague https://t.co/QCYBMX5MVM

— UEFA Nations League (@EURO2020) October 14, 2020

There were two draws in group 3 as Russia played out a stalemate with Hungary and Turkey drew 2-2 with Serbia. The results mean that Russia remain on top with 8 points, having not lost so far in the group.

Onto League C and there were no matches played in Group 1 yesterday. Luxembourg and Montenegro are currently battling for promotion to League B as both teams are stuck on 9 points.

Group 2 seen two 1-1 draws with Estonia playing Armenia and North Macedonia facing Georgia. North Macedonia and Georgia are level on top with 6 points while Armenia lurk just behind on 5 points.

Perhaps the best team in League C, Slovenia stayed atop of Group 3 as they slotted 4 past Moldova while maintaining a clean sheet. Haris Vuckic bagged a hat trick as he finished two opportunities from the spot.

Elsewhere in the group, Greece and Kosovo played out a scoreless draw despite Greece controlling a large majority of the game. Arijanet Muric didn’t make it easy for Greece as he produced a man of the match performance in the net for Kosovo. Greece are just 2 points off top while Kosovo and Moldova are embroiled in a relegation battle.

Group 4 seen Belarus defeat Kazakhstan while Lithuania managed a scoreless draw against Albania. Albania are underachieving in the group so far, sitting in 3^rd while Belarus remain on top and Lithuania remain in 2^nd.

All of League D’s matches were played on Tuesday so there was no fixtures yesterday.

Faroe Islands sit comfortably on top of Group 1 with Malta in 2^nd, Latvia in 3^rd and Andorra sitting at the bottom of the table.

Gibraltar have a 100% winning record in Group 2 and remain on top while Liechtenstein are two points behind in 2^nd. Minnows San Marino are stuck at the bottom of the table, but they will be happy as they managed to gather their first ever Nations League point with a draw against Liechtenstein on Tuesday.

Best Performers:  Eran Zahavi, Robert Lewandowski, Diego Jota, Haris Vuckic, Arijanet Muric

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It’s not been an easy ride for Stephen Kenny so far. Still to manage a win, Kenny’s Ireland record as it stands includes three draws and one loss. Injuries, suspensions and other factors haven’t done any favours for the Ireland manager in what has been a substandard start to his managerial reign. He has shown signs of promise, with impressive performances – despite the results – against both Slovakia and Wales.

Kenny will be hoping he can turn those performances into results by ending his winless run with a win against Finland in Helsinki today. However, it will be no easy challenge as Kenny’s side suffered a 1-0 loss against Finland in what was his first game in charge. Finland also won their previous Nations League match against Bulgaria so their camp will be full of confidence going into today’s game.

Finland find themselves in 2^nd on six points while Ireland are 3^rd with just two points to their name. Promotion from league B to league A looks unlikely at this stage for the Republic of Ireland, but good results in their final three group games would mean not getting dragged into a relegation battle. Finland are still very much in the promotion picture. A win against the Finns could be the catalyst Ireland need to finish off the Nations League campaign early.

Tomorrow | #COYBIG | #FINIRL pic.twitter.com/UbXLNiS9v4

— FAIreland (@FAIreland) OCTOBER 13, 2020 

Both teams play a similar style of football, pressing high up the pitch and playing high tempo passing football so it should be an entertaining watch, for the neutral at least.

Here is all the information you need to know about today’s fixture:

Team News

Ireland

Ireland are going into this match with an entirely different squad than what was announced initially. Between injuries and illness, Ireland can count themselves unlucky to be in the position they currently find themselves in. Several key players are missing from the squad – including Seamus Coleman, David McGoldrick and John Egan. Kenny was however handed a significant boost earlier this week as Adam Idah and Aaron Connolly were both passed fit to play, having been previously unavailable due to coronavirus concerns.

Ireland may need to rely on some of their young talent, something which Kenny’s predecessors have often failed to do. The average age of the Ireland squad available for selection is 25.5 years. This is much younger than it has been in the past. Irish fans will be hoping youth trumps experience as just four players in the squad have upwards of twenty caps.

Suspensions: James McClean

Injuries: James McCarthy + another unnamed player (covid-19)

Predicted line-up:

Finland

Finland, unlike Ireland, should have a full squad available. There are no significant injuries or suspensions within the Finland camp, meaning they’ll be at full strength come this evening.

Daniel O’Shaughnessy will be hoping to start against his ancestral homeland for the second time, having previously played Ireland earlier in the Nations League campaign. His father hails from Galway given his Irish sounding name but he’s a proud Finn, having represented his country from u15 level onwards. Another player Ireland will have to keep an eye on is Teemu Pukki, who will likely start up top for Finland.

Suspensions: None

Injuries: None

Predicated line-up:

Finland vs. Ireland Prediction

Like the first encounter between the two nations, this will likely be a hard-fought affair. Finland will probably fancy their chances given the outcome of the previous game but Ireland will be no pushovers, they’ll be desperate to turn their fortunes around after a miserable campaign so far.

Finland are in better form than Ireland having won four of their last six competitive game – including a 1-0 victory over the aforementioned opponents – but Kenny appears to be finding his feet with performances improving game by game. There have been considerable improvements made since the first meeting between the two sides and Irish fans will be hoping for a much better performance than last time.

Our prediction for the game is:

Ireland 1 – 0 Finland

For those looking for further information:

Where is the match being played?

The match is being played in Finland’s home ground, the Helsinki Olympic stadium. This will be the Republic of Ireland’s third time visiting the stadium, having previously played there in 1949 and 2002.

When is the match being played?

It is being played on the 14^th of October. The match will kick off at 5 p.m. Irish standard time.

Is it being televised?

Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Football will have coverage of the event. The match will not be free to air on Irish television. Virgin Media Two will have highlights of the match at 10 p.m. with full coverage of the match to follow at 11 p.m.

Viewers in the United States can also catch the game on ESPN+.

Where can the match be streamed?

Viewers can also stream the match through NOW TV’s Sky Sports Pass. The service can be purchased for one day for €11 or customers can purchase a month pass for €37.

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Stephen Kenny’s reign had not gone to plan prior to facing Wales. Having failed to pick up a win against Finland, Bulgaria and Slovakia, some Irish fans had begun doubting his credentials already.  Kenny was afforded no favours after no less than 5 players were sidelined due to a positive test in the Irish camp. Combine this with the other 4 players out of contention and Ireland would have a matchday squad of just 18 players. The circumstances surrounding the Ireland camp and Aaron Ramsey’s return meant that Wales were the firm bookies favourite. Despite this, Ireland produced an impressive performance in which they controlled possession and produced some tidy attacking moves.

Although it was 0-0, it wasn’t a drab affair. Both teams played good football at times without creating too many chances. Stephen Kenny will no doubt be pleased by the performance, especially given the circumstances surrounding the match.

As things stand, Kenny’s men are currently third in the Nations League table, but a win for Bulgaria against Finland would push Ireland to the bottom of the table. The campaign is far from over with three further games still yet to be played, though. It looks like Wales will finish as group winners, but Ireland could still finish in a respectable position given results go their way. They will be hoping to close out the international break with a win against Finland on Wednesday.

Here are our player ratings from tonight’s performance:

IRISH PLAYER RATINGS

DARREN RANDOLPH – 7

Randolph produced a solid display as usual. He was stagnant for the most part as Ireland contained Wales and kept possession comfortably, but when he was needed, he delivered.

He produced a good save on 26 minutes to keep the score at 0-0 but otherwise had very little to do in the first half. He had Irish fans holding their breath at one stage as he dropped the ball after collecting from a corner. Fortunately though, he received a free kick after a collision with Ethan Ampadu. He had little to do in the second half as Ireland continued to control the flow of the game, only making one save from a David Brooks attempt.

MATT DOHERTY – 8

Doherty slotted in at right back to start the game, but just after 20 minutes he would assume the unfamiliar role of centre back. He made a couple positive runs without reward before he was forced into changing position.

He led by example at centre back despite not being natural in the position. He made some important challenges to regain possession and his positional play was up to the mark as he held a good line with the rest of the back four. He swept up several opposition passes and disrupted Welsh attacking moves with ease.

This was arguably Doherty’s best performance in an Ireland shirt and he will have certainly impressed Stephen Kenny after a poor showing against Slovakia.

SHANE DUFFY – 7

Duffy produced another good display at the back which has become the norm over recent years. He consistently provided a problem at set pieces in the first half as he looked to latch onto Robbie Brady’s deliveries.

He was reassured defensively throughout. He made a crucial defensive header towards the end of the match after a quality Welsh cross. Other than a few misplaced passes, Duffy was once again colossal at the back.

KEVIN LONG – 6

It was over a year since Long had played a match for Ireland before today, but his appearance was to be short lived. He was taken off 24 minutes into the game as he sustained a nasty swell above his left eye after an accidental elbow from Welsh target man, Kieffer Moore. Long will be disappointed to have been forced off early but he certainly made an impression while on the pitch. He proved to be very comfortable on the ball and won all of his 50/50s before his unfortunate injury.

ENDA STEVENS – 7

Stevens had a quiet game for the most part. He was good defensively but didn’t provide much in terms of going forward for the majority of the match.

He did however create the best chance of the game with a looping cross into Shane Long, which the latter unfortunately missed.

CONOR HOURIHANE – 6

Hourihane put in a solid performance in the middle of the park without being outstanding. He was accurate in his passing and switched play well at times, but he assumed a deeper role in the absence of James McCarthy. He often collected the ball in his own half instead of operating further up the pitch.

He delivered an excellent ball into the box from a set piece towards the end of the first half but failed to provide a threat in the second 45.

JAYSON MOLUMBY – 7

Jayson Molumby came in for James McCarthy in what was his second senior international appearance. He took his opportunity well in what was a tireless display before he was subbed off towards the end of the match.

He carried the ball well on several occasions and recycled the ball with efficiency. Although he wasn’t as involved in the second half, but still managed to provide much needed energy in midfield. He often dropped deep when defending and provided reliable cover for Cyrus Christie at right back. He’s certainly one for the future.

JEFF HENDRICK – 7

Jeff Hendrick started the match in an advanced midfield position, leaving Molumby and Hourihane to drop deep and do the dirty work.

He had a quiet first half and failed to influence proceeding, often playing sideways or backwards passes. He was more positive in the second half, playing a more progressive game by carrying the ball and looking for forward passes. He was involved in some impressive attacking sequences and can be happy with his second half performance, even if his attempts didn’t always come off.

ROBBIE BRADY – 7

Brady appears to be back to his best for Ireland after a frustrating few years with injuries. He came in on the right wing after Callum Robinson had been sidelined and he has every reason to be happy with his performance.

He was particularly excellent in the first half, consistently threatening the Welsh defence in open play and dead ball situations. He had one of Ireland’s best chances of the game after being gifted the ball from a misplaced pass before striking wide with inches separating the ball and the net.

After his brilliant first half display, Brady was quiet in the second half and was subbed off with 73 minutes played.

JAMES MCCLEAN – 5

James McClean started his second Ireland game in a row on the left after Aaron Connolly remained out of action.

He had a relatively quiet game before being sent off in the 82^nd minute for a rash challenge which earned him a second yellow card.

SHANE LONG – 5

Shane Long received a rare start for Ireland after David McGoldrick was sidelined.

Always a willing runner, Long was impressive at times in his pressing of the Welsh backline. He failed to impress in front of goal, however, missing the best chance of the game after a precise cross from Enda Stevens.

He was very quiet before being replaced by Sean Maguire on 73 minutes.

SUBS

CYRUS CHRISTIE – 7

A third choice right back for the national team these days, Christie made a rare appearance after being subbed on for the injured Kevin Long.

He gradually got better as the game progressed. After an unimpressive first half, Christie played well in the second. He was assured defensively without providing much threat going forward. He made one brilliant interception which would eventually lead to an Ireland chance. Overall, it was solid performance from the man on loan at Nottingham Forest.

DARYL HORGAN – 6

After coming on for Robbie Brady in the 73^rd minute, Horgan had one of the best chances of the game. He met a James McClean cross with his head which bounced off a Welsh defender into Horgan’s feet, but he blasted over the crossbar at the second opportunity. He carried the ball fairly well at times but failed to create any chances.

SEAN MAGUIRE – 6

Maguire came on for Shane Long in the 73^rd minute to try and make his mark on the game. He showed a series of tidy touches towards the end of the match and produced a line breaking pass into Daryl Horgan’s feet, but the latter failed to capitalize. Otherwise, it was a quiet cameo by the Preston man.

JOSH CULLEN – N/A

Cullen didn’t have enough time on the pitch to make an impact.

MAN OF THE MATCH – MATT DOHERTY

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