Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories The Irish team (file pic).Laszlo Geczo/INPHO looking ahead Do you agree with our Ireland team to face Luxembourg? Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side are aiming to maintain a three-match unbeaten run. 9.01pm, 8 Jun 2025 Share options Given that it is an end-of-season friendly away to Luxembourg, if ever there was a time to give Caoimhín Kelleher a well-earned rest, this might be it. Bristol City’s Max O’Leary has linked up with countless Ireland squads, knowing he will likely be sitting on the bench, so he deserves to be rewarded for his commitment. Tottenham youngster Josh Keeley, who impressed on loan at Leyton Orient this season, will also hope to get some minutes. Centre-backs With friendlies, the key is often finding the balance between picking experienced performers and engaging in a degree of experimentation. So the captain Nathan Collins is likely to retain his place, but Heimir Hallgrímsson will want to try some different options as well. The backline that started versus Senegal is probably the first choice one, but Liam Scales and Jake O’Brien both had good seasons at club level and aren’t too far off the main XI. Hallgrímsson has seen plenty of Matt Doherty and Dara O’Shea, so it would be no surprise to see them make way for this game. Advertisement Andrew Omobamidele, who has had a stop-start season at Nottingham Forest and on loan at Strasbourg, for whom he made 10 appearances in Ligue 1, could also come into the picture. It’s a big ask for Robbie Brady to start two games in a short space of time at the end of a long, hard season. So it would be no surprise to see the 33-year-old rested for the Luxembourg fixture. If that is the case, it could mean a debut for Shamrock Rovers’ Josh Honohan. Ireland have been low on depth on their left side, and the 24-year-old from Carrigaline has been one of the Premier Division’s top performers for a long time now. On the right, there probably isn’t too much between Kasey McAteer and Festy Ebosele, although the former’s man-of-the-match performance on Friday has enhanced his status within the squad. Ebosele, though, might be given a chance to impress from the outset this time, having replaced McAteer in the 81st minute against Senegal. Aside from Will Smallbone and Jason Knight, the central midfield options are inexperienced. Killian Phillips won his first cap off the bench against Senegal, while 21-year-old Andrew Moran made a late cameo, and John Patrick and Bosun Lawal are still awaiting their debuts. So Hallgrímsson could start with the experienced pairing, while the likes of Patrick will hope to get minutes off the bench. Adam Idah got the nod for Ireland’s match with Senegal, but Luxembourg away might be the time to pick Evan Ferguson. Injuries and below-par form contributed to a season to forget for the Meath native, but he would still fancy his chances of scoring against a side 31 places below Ireland in the Fifa world rankings. Ryan Manning had a decent game against Senegal, playing on the left ahead of Brady and tucking inside at times to link up with the attack, so the Galway native should retain his place. Jack Taylor gave his all on his first start for Ireland, but the expectation against Luxembourg would be that Hallgrímsson opts for a more attack-minded player in that deep role. Troy Parrott had been unwell in the days leading up to the Senegal clash, which perhaps explains why he was an unused sub on Friday. Assuming he is feeling better, the AZ Alkmaar man could be the perfect foil for Ferguson up top. Possible Ireland team to face Luxembourg: O’Leary; O’Brien, Collins, Scales; Ebosele, Knight, Smallbone, Honohan; Parrott, Manning; Ferguson. Paul Fennessy Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Do you agree with our Ireland team to face Luxembourg?”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Do you agree with our Ireland team to face Luxembourg?”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. 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