Darren Randolph eyes an Ireland opportunity

Those players to have made the cut over the weekend will take part in the Irish squad's first ever training session in Abbotstown this morning with only Kevin Doyle expected to miss the first run out at the team's new base.

Doyle, who is due in today from the United States, scored his fourth goal for Colorado Rapids over the weekend and might, as a result, be counted as one of the players coming into the international week on something of a high.

Darren Randolph probably tops that list with the 28-year-old having bounced back from a potentially dispiriting Premier League debut for West Ham against Bournemouth last week in which he conceded four goals, by keeping a clean sheet at Anfield as the Londoners secured their first win away to Liverpool in more than half a century.

Unused substitutes

Randolph was the only one of the three goalkeepers included by manager Martin O’Neill in his revised 28-strong squad for this weekend’s games against Gibraltar and Georgia to have featured for his club over the weekend with

Shay Given

and

David Forde

both unused substitutes as Stoke and Millwall lost.

The manager spoke when he named his original squad about the need for experience in games that Ireland simply must win if they are to have any chances of reviving their qualification campaign but the Bray born former Birmingham City player may feel that this is the best position he has been in to push his case for a start in a competitive game.

O'Neill was at Southampton yesterday to see the game against Norwich city and he endured a frustrating afternoon as Shane Long failed to get on from the bench and Wes Hoolahan was replaced during the first half when the visitors were forced to reorganise in the wake of a sending off. Robbie Brady played all 90 minutes but his side was well beaten.

Bournemouth's Eunan O'Kane and Aberdeen striker Adam Rooney, who scored in his side's 2-0 win at Partick Thistle, will be amongst the players to train this morning but O'Kane's club-mate, Harry Arter, faces a longer lay-off than originally expected with the midfielder having apparently undergone surgery to address a groin problem in Munich last week.

Amongst the others to miss out through injury are Daryl Murphy (calf), David McGoldrick (groin) and Keiren Westwood (abdomen).

The squad’s move from Malahide is a sign of the progress in the development of the facilities at national sports campus. The football facilities are largely in place and the main football pitch has already hosted a number of training sessions for the senior women’s team.

O’Neill and his players will be based at the campus for the next few days before heading to Faro for Friday night’s game and will return next weekend in advance of the Georgia match.

Gibraltar have changed manager since Ireland beat them comfortably at home last year but new boss Jeff Wood said the team will continue to try to attack opponents, a strategy that seemed to make life that little bit easier at times for rivals under his predecessor, Allen Bula.