Under-17: Seán McCaffrey will resist the temptation to start 15-year-old Terry Dixon against Italy at the Bannikov Stadium in Kiev this afternoon (1.30) as Ireland seek the victory that would see them qualify for the second phase of the Uefa Under-17 championship with their third game, against Latvia on Saturday, to spare.
Dixon is permitted by his club Tottenham to play just 120 minutes - effectively three half games - over the three matches here in Ukraine.
He made a telling impact on his introduction at half-time in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the hosts at the Kyiv Dynamo Stadium, winning a penalty in stoppage time which was converted by Graham Carey.
"If I start Terry against Italy and we don't get the required result, I can't use him against Latvia on Saturday, so I'll start him on the bench again," said manager McCaffrey, who believes Dixon is one of the best strikers at his age he has seen.
A stocky, bustling forward with great touch and footballing intelligence, London-born Dixon has been compared to Wayne Rooney. His English father is eager for his son to play for England and they are due to select him for an under-16 tournament next month, even though he has already played against them for Ireland. He qualifies for Ireland through his mother, who is from Bailieborough, Co Cavan.
McCaffrey brought Dixon to Iceland in August for the Nordic Cup and he was a revelation even though he was then restricted to playing just 90 minutes. Ireland won the tournament, winning all four games, with Dixon coming on in each to score three goals and then torment England in the final, though he didn't manage to score against them.
Holding onto him for Ireland is now the challenge as Fifa eligibility rules mean he will still be allowed switch allegiance until he is capped in a competitive under-21 international.
McCaffrey will start with a 4-4-2 formation with Cillian Sheridan partnering Tom Lyons up front.
Injuries to goalkeeper Shane Redmond (dead leg) and Carey (thigh), along with left back Lorcan Fitzgerald also being a doubt with a sore throat, may force McCaffrey into one or two changes. Paul Skinner is set to start in goal with Mark O'Toole standing by for Fitzgerald. Stephen Lawless may start in central midfield.
IRELAND UNDER-17 (v Italy, probable): Skinner (Celtic); Callaghan (Millwall), Donoghue (Sunderland), Breen (Man City), O'Toole (Tottenham); Cahillane (Celtic), Daly (Cherry Orchard), Lawless (Cherry Orchard), McDermott (Man City); Sheridan (Belvedere) Lyons (Crystal Palace), McDermott (Man City).
