Gareth McAuley is set to make a rare start at the centre of the Northern Ireland defence tonight when Nigel Worthington’s men take on Serbia in a Euro 2012 qualifier in Belgrade (Sky Sports One/HD1 7pm). The Blues defender normally plays at right-back for his national side.
McAuley, who has previously won 26 full caps and has scored one international goal, will partner Aaron Hughes, who he first played alongside for Lisburn Youth when the two were growing up.
The match is being played behind closed doors as a punishment for the abandonment of Serbia’s game with Italy due to crowd trouble.
Hungarian duo Tamás Priskin, who joined Swansea on loan yesterday, and Márton Fülöp are in the squad for their country’s Euro 2012 qualifying group double-header against Holland with the first game in Budapest tonight. The sides meet again in Amsterdam on Tuesday.
Fülöp has previously won 22 full caps, while Priskin has played for his country 30 times and has scored eight goals.
Tommy Smith has been named in the New Zealand starting line-up for their friendly in China later today. Smith, who is currently on loan at Colchester, has previously won eight full caps.
Blues midfielder Conor Hourihane has been added to the Republic of Ireland U21 squad playing a friendly in Portugal this evening with Shane O’Connor, Ian McLoughlin and Ronan Murray all already in the travelling party.
Hourihane has previously won four U21 caps and McLoughlin one, while O’Connor and Murray will make their debuts if involved today.
Meanwhile, loan defender Darren O'Dea is to start for the Republic of Ireland in Saturday's Euro 2012 qualifier against Macedonia in Dublin (Sky Sports One/HD1 7.15pm). The Celtic man will be winning his fifth cap.