REPUBLIC OF IRELAND U21 manager Jim Crawford has been forced into four squad changes ahead of the upcoming European Championship play-offs due to injury.
Burnley’s Dara Costelloe, NAC Breda’s Anselmo Garcia MacNulty and St Patrick’s Athletic duo Adam O’Reilly and David Odumosu have all received call-ups ahead of Friday’s first leg against Israel at Tallaght Stadium.
Barnsley’s Luca Connell, Como 1907’s Liam Kerrigan, Sheffield Wednesday defender Mark McGuinness and David Harrington of Cork City drop out, all ruled out through injury.
Limerick native Costelloe is called into his first Ireland squad, while O’Reilly returns to a Boys In Green set-up for the first-time since November 2019, when he featured for the U19s.
Garcia McNulty and Odumosu are back in the U21s fold for the first time this year, having been involved earlier in the campaign.
The squad met up in Dublin on Sunday and will train at Abbotstown this week.
The return leg is in Tel Aviv next Tuesday.
Republic of Ireland Under-21 Squad
Goalkeepers: Brian Maher (Derry City), Luke McNicholas (Sligo Rovers), David Odomosu (St. Patrick’s Athletic)
Defenders: Eiran Cashin (Derby County), Festy Ebosele (Udinese), Anselmo Garcia McNulty (NAC Breda, on loan from Wolfsburg), Andy Lyons (Shamrock Rovers), Jake O’Brien (RWD Molenbeek, on loan from Crystal Palace), Lee O’Connor (Tranmere Rovers), Joe Redmond (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Sean Roughan (Lincoln City)
Midfielders: Finn Azaz (Plymouth Argyle, on loan from Aston Villa), Conor Coventry (West Ham United), Dawson Devoy (MK Dons), Joe Hodge (Wolves), Adam O’Reilly (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Will Smallbone (Stoke City, on loan from Southampton), Ross Tierney (Motherwell)
Forwards: Aaron Connolly (Venezia, on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion), Dara Costelloe (Burnley), Evan Ferguson (Brighton & Hove Albion), Joshua ‘JJ’ Kayode (MK Dons, on loan from Rotherham United), Ollie O’Neill (Fulham), Mipo Odubeko (Port Vale, on loan from West Ham United), Tyreik Wright (Bradford City, on loan from Aston Villa)
UEFA European Under-21 Championship play-offs
Friday, 23 September: Ireland U21 v Israel U21, Tallaght Stadium, Dublin, KO 7pm
Tuesday, 27 September: Israel U21 v Ireland U21, Bloomfield Stadium, Tel Aviv, Israel KO 7pm.
