Gary Connaughton reporting from the Aviva Stadium
Stephen Kenny has named his Republic of Ireland team to take on Gibraltar this evening, needing a big performance to ease the mounting pressure surrounding his position.
He has made five changes to the team that performed so poorly in Athens on Friday evening.
Gavin Bazunu retains his place in goal, with John Egan and Nathan Collins set to be partnered by Dara O'Shea at the back.
It looks as though Jason Knight will slot in for the suspended Matt Doherty at right wingback, while James McClean will start on the opposite flank. The Derry will captain the side as he earns his 100th Ireland cap.
Josh Cullen and Will Smallbone start in midfield, with Jamie McGrath coming in to replace Jayson Molumby. McGrath is somewhat of a surprise selection having fallen out of favour over the last 12 months or so.
Up front, Evan Ferguson will be partnered by Michael Obafemi.
The only change to the matchday squad from the Greece game sees Liam Scales come into the 23 in the place of Doherty.
Stephen Kenny names Ireland team for Gibraltar game
Here is the team in full.
STARTING XI | Ireland v Gibraltar
James McClean (C) confirmed in the side who will now claim his 100th cap tonight as Michael Obafemi comes into the side 😍
Jamie McGrath comes into midfield and Dara O'Shea slots in defence with kick-off at 7.45pm 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/JU4lfcuuUZ— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) June 19, 2023
Stephen Kenny is under severe pressure heading into this game, with the performance against Greece resulting in even his most ardent backers questioning his long-term future as Ireland manager.
A victory this evening will be the absolute minimum requirement, although fans will also be hoping for a convincing showing against a nation sat in 201st place in the FIFA World Rankings. A sizeable crowd is expected at the Aviva for the game, with tickets for this fixture having been sold in a bundle alongside the match against the Netherlands in September.
Three points will also be required to keep Ireland's slim hopes of achieving a top two finish in this Euro 2024 qualifying group alive, with some tough fixtures still to come in the months ahead.
If they fail to win by a decent margin, there is no doubt that Kenny will be under more pressure than he has been at any other time during his Ireland tenure.
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