Gavin Kilkenny is set to miss out on an senior Ireland call-up this month after he was named in Jim Crawford's Boys in Green U21 squad.
The Bournemouth midfielder has been in fine form for club and country this season, and had caught the attention of Stephen Kenny ahead of this month's qualifiers.
Ireland host Portugal in a sell-out Aviva Stadium clash next Thursday before travelling to face Luxembourg - who shocked Kenny's men in March with a 1-0 win.
But Kilkenny has instead been drafted in to lead the Irish U21 midfield in their crucial European Championship qualifiers against Italy and Sweden next week.
Southampton’s Will Smallbone as well as Derby County starlet Festy Ebosele return to the squad after spells on the sidelines.
Republic of Ireland Under-21 Squad
Goalkeepers: Brian Maher (Bray Wanderers), David Odumosu (Drogheda United), Luke McNicholas (Cliftonville, on loan from Sligo Rovers)
Defenders: Joel Bagan (Cardiff City), Festy Ebosele (Derby County), Andy Lyons (Bohemians) Oisin McEntee (Greenock Morton, on loan from Newcastle United), Mark McGuinness (Cardiff City), Jake O’Brien (Crystal Palace), Lee O’Connor (Tranmere Rovers, on loan from Celtic)
Midfielders: Conor Coventry (Peterborough United, on loan from West Ham United) Dawson Devoy (Bohemians), Ryan Johansson (Fortuna Sittard, on loan from Seville), Gavin Kilkenny (Bournemouth), Ollie O’Neill (Fulham), Conor Noss (Borussia Möchengladbach), Will Smallbone (Southampton), Ross Tierney (Bohemians)
Forwards: Evan Ferguson (Brighton & Hove Albion), Will Ferry (Crawley Town, on loan from Southampton), Joshua ‘JJ’ Kayode (Rotherham United), Liam Kerrigan (UCD), Armstrong Oko-Flex (West Ham United), Colm Whelan (UCD), Tyreik Wright (Salford City, on loan from Aston Villa)
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