GIOVANI TRAPPATONI HAS named an unchanged squad for the European Championships qualifiers against Russia and Slovakia next month.

Ireland host Russia on 8 October and travel to Slovakia four days later in Group B.

Ireland:

GOALKEEPERS: Shay Given, Kieren Westwood, Joe Murphy.

DEFENDERS: John O’Shea, Richard Dunne, Sean St. Ledger, Greg Cunningham, Kevin Foley, Stephen Kelly, Paul McShane, Darren O’Dea, Kevin Kilbane.

MIFIELDERS: Keith Andrews, Glenn Whelan, Darron Gibson, Paul Green, Liam Lawrence, Aiden McGeady, Keith Treacy, Damien Duff, Keith Fahey.

FORWARDS: Robbie Keane, Shane Long, Kevin Doyle, Andy Keogh.

Giovanni Trapattoni said:

“We go into these qualifiers with six points from six in the opening games of the campaign in September. We performed well against Armenia and Andorra and we will build on these good results in our next games against Russia and Slovakia. These teams are the top seeds in the group and they will be looking to take three points from us to kick start their Eeuro campaigns but we have prepared well and will not make it easy for them as we continue to lay the foundations to qualify for the European Championship finals.”