AARON’S READY TO ROLL
Duffy hands vote of confidence to his club and country colleague
SHANE Duffy has predicted Aaron Connolly will prosper if picked to start for the Republic of Ireland against Switzerland tomorrow.
Duffy, Ireland’s best player against Georgia, believes his Brighton colleague will have no fears about starting the Group D showdown in Geneva.
‘I’ve been working with him now for two years and he’s been unlucky not to be playing more with us (Ireland). That’s him in now,’ said Duffy of the 19-year-old striker.
‘Playing against Switzerland won’t be a problem. He thrives off big moments, he thrives off big games and that’s what he wants,’ added Duffy.
Ireland manager Mick McCarthy is set to give Connolly his first start as Ireland seek a win to sink the Swiss in their own back-yard.
‘I think Aaron did great when he came on. He had his chances in a game that was starting to get stretched, starting to become wide open and might have
scored but for a bobbly pitch which took the ball away from him. ‘He’s had a really good cameo appearance and I’ve no doubt he’s ready to start,’ said McCarthy, who has drawn a line through any involvement for the injured David McGoldrick, and has some additional choices to make on team selection. Enda Stevens is set to return at left-back after suspension and McCarthy has to make a call on playing someone up the park either alongside Connolly, or off him. That could be either Callum Robinson or Alan Browne. McCarthy arrived in Geneva last night and is content where Ireland find themselves with two games to go. A win against either the Swiss or Denmark will do, while a draw in Geneva would mean the Danes should be qualified by the time they visit Dublin – they play minnows Gibraltar at home three days earlier. ‘It’s left us that if we win one of the games, we qualify. It’s head-to-head against them (Switzerland), so if we win on Tuesday, we’ve qualified.’