Robbie Brady gets the chance to impress tonight but the rest of Ireland’s first-team players will be held in reserve for Denmark.
Last night, Mick McCarthy took the unusual step of naming his starting XI to face New Zealand a day in advance.
It was a common practice under Giovanni Trapattoni but Martin O’Neill and now McCarthy like to keep their cards close to their chest.
Yesterday morning, McCarthy revealed that Troy Parrott, Jack Byrne, Ciaran Clark and Lee O’Connor would start.
But by tea-time, he went even further by confirming his entire team.
And Alan Browne’s inclusion in midfield is an indication that Conor Hourihane could be poised to return against Denmark on Monday having been dropped in Switzerland.
Kieran O’Hara, the Burton goalkeeper on loan from Manchester United, will win his second cap between the posts.
Celtic defender O’Connor starts at right-back. He is only available because he is suspended for the Under-21s qualifier in Armenia at midday.
With skipper Seamus Coleman sitting this one out as he is banned on Monday, Matt Doherty is the only recognised senior right back available to face the Danes.
He is only back from a minor knee injury too, so McCarthy is taking no chances and hands O’Connor a role before returning to the Under-21s for Tuesday’s clash with Sweden.
Clark is back in favour and form with Newcastle and is partnered in the centre by Burnley's Kevin Long and Derrick Williams of Blackburn at left-back.
Shamrock Rovers ace Byrne is in a midfield three with on-loan Charlton man Josh Cullen and Browne of Preston.
In attack, Tottenham starlet Parrott leads the line with Burnley's Robbie Brady and Sean Maguire of Preston supporting him out wide.
Brady is arguably the player with the most to gain as a good performance tonight will put the Euro 2016 star in the mix for the problem position wide right against Denmark.
But McCarthy said last night: “I won’t be kidded by somebody playing well in this game that all of a sudden they should automatically play in the Denmark game.
“I’ve a lot of respect for Robbie. I always thought he was one of our more talented players who could create something, he’s got a goal in him, he’s got good deliveries.
“He’s just been unfortunate with injury. Had he been fit he would have been involved in all the games.”
But McCarthy added: “It’s up to the players, isn’t it? I’ve never seen any way of playing except at absolutely 100 percent.
“If you're fit then you play 100 percent or you don’t play in my team. That’s the way it goes.”
REP OF IRELAND (team, 4-3-3): O’Hara; O’Connor, Clark, Long, Williams; Browne, Cullen, Byrne; Brady, Parrott, Maguire.
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