Town boss Mick McCarthy hopes Blues striker Daryl Murphy will make his first appearance of the European Championships when the Republic of Ireland face Belgium in Bordeaux in their second game of the tournament on Saturday (ITV from 1pm, KO 2pm). Ex-Town skipper Jonathan Walters is expected to miss out with the achilles injury he suffered prior to the start of the tournament.
The 32-year-old Stoke City frontman managed 64 minutes of the 1-1 draw with Sweden on Monday but is thought to have little chance of making Saturday’s game.
Manager Martin O’Neill and his assistant, former Blues boss Roy Keane, have various options, including Murphy, veteran skipper Robbie Keane or James McClean, who replaced Walters against the Swedes.
Writing in his Euro 2016 blog for Paddy Power, ex-Ireland boss McCarthy says he’d like to see 33-year-old Murphy, an unused sub against Sweden, handed his 22nd cap: "If Jonathan Walters’s injury rules him out, he’ll be a big loss to us. He’s a solid, experienced, international pro who gets us goals.
"But that’s why our team spirit is invaluable. We can bring in players who will run through a brick wall for their country, for the greater good of the team.
"I’d like to see Daryl Murphy come in if Walters is ruled out and Martin opts to go with another striker alongside Shane Long. He’ll certainly put a shift in and offer an attacking threat — but I am a bit biased.”
McCarthy believes the Belgians now have to claim all three points against Ireland having lost 2-0 to Italy in their opening match.
"Monday’s results have changed the whole dynamic of Group E,” he added. "We came into it as the underdogs, with Belgium as the likely winners, but Saturday’s game is now a must-win for them.
"If their players are up for it they’ve enough individuals to threaten any side in this tournament, but an opening-day defeat can play on the minds of fancied teams and they will be feeling sore.
"If Belgium don’t start well against Ireland then we might see a team that is fractured and start to implode, arguing with each other and not playing anywhere near their pre-tournament billing. Ireland can capitalise on that disharmony if they’re not up for the fight.”
Meanwhile, former Town keeper Shane Supple has joined SSE Airtricity League Premier Division side Bohemians from Crumlin United.
Supple, 29, returned to football with Leinster Senior League club Crumlin last season, having famously retired while with Town in 2009 aged only 22 having "fallen out of love with the game".
The former Ireland U21 international subsequently played Gaelic football for his parish side St Brigids and Dublin.