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World Cup Hopeful Knudsen One of Four Who Could Win Caps - Ipswich Town News

Blues left-back Jonas Knudsen will be hoping to win his third full international cap when Denmark face the Republic of Ireland in the second leg of their World Cup qualification play-off at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin this evening (Sky Sports Main Event/Football from 7.30pm/7pm), while three other Town players could also win caps at various levels.

Knudsen was an unused sub for the first leg in Copenhagen on Saturday, which ended 0-0, and is again expected to be on the bench.

If he does play a part the 25-year-old, a late call into the squad as cover for injuries, will be making his first appearance for his country since joining the Blues in the summer of 2015.

Town striker David McGoldrick was left out of the final Irish squad, but former Blues Daryl Murphy and Conor Hourihane will be involved.

The winners of tonight’s game will claim a place at next summer’s finals in Russia.

Elsewhere, Blues loanee Bersant Celina is set to win his third U21s cap with Kosovo when they face Azerbaijan in Baku in a European Championships qualifier [Edit: Celina has returned to England ].

Kosovo, who lost 4-0 to Israel in another qualifier on Thursday, are currently fourth in their group with the Azerbaijanis bottom without a point.

In addition to his U21s caps, the 21-year-old, who is on a season-long loan from Manchester City, has also won eight full caps, scoring one international goal.

Midfielder Flynn Downes, 18, could win his fourth England U19s cap when the Young Lions face hosts Bulgaria at the Trace Arena, Stara Zagora this afternoon.

The England youngsters currently top their European Championships mini-group ahead of the Bulgarians on goal difference, both sides having a 100 per cent record from their first two games and having guaranteed their places in the next stage of qualifying in March. The finals are in Finland in July.

England are defending the title they won in Georgia in the summer, a team which featured Blues midfielder Andre Dozzell, who still qualifies for the U19s but is out injured, almost certainly for the whole season.

Set to win his third U19s cap, also in a European Championships qualifying mini-group game, is academy first-year scholar Kian Ronan, who is away with the Gibraltar squad in Greece.

The Gibraltarian youngsters complete their fixtures with a game against Romania this afternoon but stand no chance of progressing to the next stage having been beaten 6-0 by Russia and 5-0 by the hosts in their previous two matches.

The 16-year-old Harlow-based right-back or midfielder, whose mother and grandparents were born in Gibraltar, was in the starting line-up for the opening two matches.

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