UEFA Champions League Second qualifying round, first leg: Glen Fitzpatrick is set to return to Shelbourne's line-up for tonight's Champions League qualifier against Hajduk Split in Croatia after training without serious difficulty since the weekend.
Fitzpatrick missed the game with KR Reykjavik with a groin strain picked up against Derry City, but has made good progress recently. If he starts, Alan Moore would revert to midfield with Thomas Morgan losing out.
It would also add to Shelbourne's chances of an away goal. The 22-year-old has seven goals this season and his partnership with Jason Byrne has been highly effective, with the two finding the net some 20 times between them.
Pat Fenlon is missing a couple of players with Jim Crawford on the bench having failed to recover from a hamstring problem.
Wes Hoolahan is expected to overcome a groin strain, an important boost to Shelbourne, who believe that Hajduk may be vulnerable out wide because of their usual 4-3-1-2 formation.
Mario Carcevic, playing behind the strikers, is seen as Hajduk's main attacking threat, but their potential is difficult to gauge two games into a new season.
Hajduk have developed a new business model in recent years. They depend on signing promising young Croatian players and selling them at a significant profit.
The effects can be dramatic with 10 players moving on this summer. Around half were regulars in last season's titlewinning side.
"It is a problem, but it happens every year," says coach Ivan Katalinic, in his third spell with the club, and was in charge when Hajduk reached the competition's last eight in 1995. "What makes it more difficult is that some of our new players arrived late. We returned to training on June 16th, but some of those who were coming from other clubs could not join until July 1st."
Since then, Hajduk have beaten Dinamo Zagreb in the Croatian Super Cup and lost to newly promoted NK Pula. Katalinic expects Shelbourne to be a little stronger because of the timing of their season and he regards Hoolahan and Ollie Cahill as particular threats. He would settle for a narrow victory.
Pat Fenlon, meanwhile, has suggested that a narrow loss would be a decent enough result for Shelbourne.
His players have spent a few days adapting to Croatia's warmer conditions. There was relief yesterday with lower temperatures and it was learned that it is due to be overcast today.
Around 20,000 are expected at the game and the locals are expected to be at almost full strength, with just Vladko Dolonga doubtful because of injury.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Second qualifying round, first leg (7.45 unless stated): Rosenborg v Sheriff Tiraspol; Young Boys v Crvena Zvezda (7.15); MSK Zilina v Dinamo Bucuresti (7.0); Skonto Riga v Trabzonspor (6.30); Club Brugge v Lokomotiv Plovdiv (7.30); Hajduk Split v Shelbourne (7.30); Djurgardens IF v FBK Kaunas; Apoel Nicosia v Sparta Prague (7.0).
