Czech Republic vs Ireland LIVE: Team news ahead of crucial World Cup play-off semi-final

The players make their way out of the tunnel at the Fortuna Arena.

Nathan Collins leads the Republic of Ireland. Can they move one step closer to the World Cup tonight?

Ireland vice-captain Seamus Coleman will be aged 37 years and 166 days on the day of this game.

An appearance would make him their eighth oldest outfield player, and oldest since John Aldridge in October 1996 (38 years, 21 days vs Macedonia).

Troy Parrott has scored five goals in his last two games for the Republic of Ireland, netting two against Portugal and a hat-trick against Hungary.

He’s the fourth player to net 2+ goals in consecutive Eire appearances, after Jimmy Dunne (May 1936), Robbie Keane (June 2013) and Callum Robinson (October 2021).

No one has achieved that in three games in a row.

Republic of Ireland have won their last three games in a row, all in World Cup qualifying.

They haven’t won four games in a row since May/June 2011, while in competitive fixtures they last managed that between November 2006 and March 2007, all in European Championship qualifiers.

Czech Republic are unbeaten in their last 17 home qualifying matches for major tournaments (World Cup/European Championship).

They have won 13 and drawn four since a 2-1 defeat to Germany in September 2017 in World Cup qualifying.

This will be the Republic of Ireland’s sixth World Cup play-off.

They were eliminated ahead of the 1966, 1998, 2010 and 2018 World Cups, and progressed for the 2002 World Cup after eliminating Iran.

This is the second consecutive World Cup qualifying campaign that will see Czech Republic play in the play-offs.

In March 2022, they lost 1-0 in the semi-final in Solna against Sweden.

Will history repeat itself?

This is the first meeting between Czech Republic and the Republic of Ireland since a February 2012 friendly.

That finished as a 1-1 draw at the Aviva Stadium with Simon Cox equalising late on for Ireland after Milan Baros gave the away side the lead early in the second half.

The Irish players had only got back to Dublin this week when all of the emotion from Hungary came flooding back. You can see it in the smiles, the readiness. Some of it is just being among the squad again, with the World Cup now in sight. Some of it is what Heimir Hallgrimsson has already said to them this week, before an initial play-off away to Czech Republic.

The four-month wait since Troy Parrott’s heroics has at least allowed a manager as measured as the Icelander a lot of time to think about this week of weeks for Ireland, and he’s long known what he’s going to say to his squad and when – as well as what his tactical approach will be.

Miroslav Koubek’s first line-up as Czech Republic boss sees Tomas Soucek excluded from the starting XI though he does make the bench.

For Ireland, there are two changes from the win over Hungary in November.

Ryan Manning replaces the suspended Liam Scales at left wing-back and Jack Taylor comes in for the injured Josh Cullen in midfield.