The call-ups come amid a selection crisis for Ireland
Aaron McEneff, Graham Burke, Jack Taylor and Troy Parrott have all been called up to the Ireland squad ahead of their fixture against Bulgaria. Parrott and Burke will be familiar with the Ireland setup, having been included in previous squads. McEneff and Taylor, however, receive their first call up to a senior Ireland squad.
Taylor and Parrott were included in the u21 squad who suffered defeat to Iceland on Tuesday where both players performed well without rewards. The inclusion of Shamrock Rovers’ pair Burke and McEneff comes off the back of a stellar season for both players in the domestic league. Three Rovers players are now involved in the senior squad as Burke and McEneff link up with Jack Byrne.
The call-ups come after another international break riddled with injuries and suspensions within the Ireland camp. No less than 13 players included in the original squad have been ruled out for various reasons.
Matt Doherty and James McClean were the latest to be ruled out due to testing positive for Covid-19. An injury to Adam Idah which was confirmed today also rules the young striker out.
Ireland take on Bulgaria on Wednesday in a crucial relegation deciding match. An Ireland loss would mean relegation to League C in the Nations League. Stephen Kenny needs a win in what has been a stressful start as Ireland manager.
Ireland squad against Bulgaria:
Goalkeepers: Darren Randolph (West Ham United), Caoimhín Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth)
Defenders: Kevin Long (Burnley), Shane Duffy (Celtic, on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion), Dara O’Shea (West Bromwich Albion), Cyrus Christie (Nottingham Forest, on loan from Fulham), Ciaran Clark (Newcastle United), Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers), Ryan Manning (Swansea City).
Midfielders: Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), Robbie Brady (Burnley), Jack Byrne (Shamrock Rovers), Jason Knight (Derby County), Josh Cullen (Anderlecht), Aaron McEneff (Shamrock Rovers), Jack Taylor (Peterborough United).
Attackers: Graham Burke (Shamrock Rovers, on loan from Preston North End), James Collins (Luton Town), Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth), Callum O’Dowda (Bristol City), Daryl Horgan (Wycombe Wanderers), Sean Maguire (Preston North End), Troy Parrott (Millwall, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur).
