Most of Shamrock Rovers's problems are of the long-term variety, with Tony Cousins and Graham Lawlor, in particular, still some way off getting back into first team action. Cousins is recovering from the knee problem that kept him out for most of last season while Graham Lawlor needs an operation on an achilles injury. With Dublin making their exit from the All-Ireland championship on Saturday Jason Sherlock will return sooner rather than later but for the moment it seems that Sean Francis and Brian Byrne might be the home side's most likely combination up front.

Otherwise Pascal Vaudequin is a slight doubt for the home side with a thigh strain while Bohemians goalkeeper Wayne Russell broke his finger in Aberdeen on Thursday night and the scorer of their late winner, Trevor Molloy, starts a two match suspension.