INJURIES AREN’T SHAKING STEPHEN’S PLANS

READY Josh Cullen

IRELAND have no last minute injury concerns for tonight’s Euro play-off.

Anderlecht midfielder Josh Cullen, who replaced crocked Harry Arter on Tuesday, trained with the squad last night.

Robbie Brady (inset) and

Callum O’dowda are also in the selection mix after overcoming rib and groin injuries respectively.

O’dowda started Kenny’s first two games in charge last month and the Ireland boss said: “Callum has looked quite sharp.

“Everyone else is 100 percent and Robbie Brady seems to have come e through okay.

“There were a lot of doubts when I heard he had a fractured rib and my initial concerns were he would be doubtful, but he seems to be fine and very deter determined.”

Arter, who started the Finland game, was ruled out after shipping a t thigh injury playing fo for Nottingham

Fore Forest at the weekend. “Harry was desperate to

l o n g - t e r m g a i n mi n d s e t , Kenny’s tactical revolution is absolutely worth sticking with.

It doesn’t change the fact that this is a high-stakes game but as Kenny put it himself on Sunday, he couldn’t look at himself in the mirror if he abandoned his blueprint just two games in.

Admirable, but considering the prize on offer, he would be naive to think there won’t be some backlash from certain sections if it does go sour.

Un d er Mi c k Mcca r thy, Ireland finished third in a two horse race. They are only in this play-off because of the warped mechanics of the Nations

Stephen Kenny has called on his squad to show their technical qualities

League. Kenny wasn’t supposed to be in charge for this one, and it’s seen as bonus territory for him, but he’s still the man in the firing line.

There’s enormous goodwill for the new manager but as his predecessors will know, goodwill is finite with the Irish team and particularly so if watching tournaments from the sofa.

In Bra t i sl av a ye st e rd ay, Kenny said: “Most neutrals would see Slovakia with home advantage and see them as slight favourites.

“We’ ll have to play at the top of our game to win but the motivation is very high.

“Players’ careers are short and the opportunities to get to the European Championships and major tournaments are not so frequent.

“If you can achieve that, particularly when i t ’s i n Ireland which is unprecedented, it would be incredibly special.

“The players know they are going to have to put in a brilliant performance to win.

“We’r e n o t settin g up to contain and hope we score through a set-play or a break. We’ll play our own game.

“We’ve got good players and we must not underestimate ourselves. We’ve not been able to train with any real intensity but they’ve taken information on board quickly.”

Kenny feels this will be a complet ely different away game to th e one in Bulgaria last month.

“It’s our ambition to try and control games and we want to carry an attacking threat,” he added.

“Slovakia are a good team. Their games are quite open because they really go at y o u , b u t b e c a u s e of the nature of that they give you an opportunity as well.

“It’ll be very unlike Bulgaria. There’s no real comparison because Bulgaria set up a counter-attack and it ’ l l be completely different tactically in that regard.

“We’ve worked on things (since last month) and players have a clear idea.

“We’re i n a much better place than we were four weeks ago.”