Republic of Ireland vs Portugal: World Cup Qualifier preview, team news, TV channel, kick-off time
ROI are being hampered by an injury to teenage defender Andrew Omobamidele; Watch Republic of Ireland vs Portugal on Sky Sports Football from 7.30pm on Thursday; kick-off 7.45pm; follow our live blog on Sky Sports website and app; free match highlights published shortly after FT
Thursday 11 November 2021 19:24, UK
Team news ahead of the World Cup Qualifier between Republic of Ireland vs Portugal on Thursday; kick-off 7.45pm.
Team news
Republic of Ireland are being hampered by an injury to teenage defender Andrew Omobamidele. The 19-year-old reported with an Achilles injury suffered during Norwich's 2-1 Premier League win at Brentford on Saturday and is a doubt for the game.
Stephen Kenny, who has already ruled out midfielder Jayson Molumby because of a hamstring problem, said: "We'll have a fitness check on Andrew Omobamidele, who got a kick in his Achilles in the Norwich game at the weekend. It's been sore and we'll have to see how he is."
Asked if he was optimistic, Kenny replied: "We'll have to wait and see. I can't say I'm optimistic. We'll wait and see how he is."
- Cullen determined to stop Ronaldo for a full game
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Portugal will be without Man City forward Bernardo Silva, who reported fatigued but is expected to be fit to face Serbia.
However, manager Fernando Santos faces a series of big decisions with no fewer than six men - Joao Cancelo, Joao Palhinha, Diogo Jota, Renato Sanches, Ruben Dias and Jose Fonte - on yellow cards and in danger of missing Sunday's Group A decider at home to second-placed Serbia.
How to follow
Watch Republic of Ireland vs Portugal on Sky Sports Football and Main Event from 7.30pm on Thursday; kick-off 7.45pm; follow with our live blog on Sky Sports website and app, with free match highlights published shortly after full time
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Opta stats
- Republic of Ireland haven't hosted Portugal for a match since February 2005 at Lansdowne Road under Brian Kerr, winning 1-0 with a goal from Andy O'Brien.
- Portugal have lost three of their last five away matches against the Republic of Ireland (W1 D1), with their one win in this time coming in a 1996 friendly, winning 1-0 with António Folha scoring the winner.
- Republic of Ireland are looking to win three consecutive matches for the first time since November 2016, having beaten Azerbaijan and Qatar in their two previous games.
- Portugal have won their last five matches in all competitions, scoring 16 goals and conceding just twice. They last won six in a row between July and November 2017.
- Republic of Ireland have scored 17 goals in their last 10 matches in all competitions - one more than they'd scored in their previous 24 international matches (16). They've netted 3+ goals in three matches in 2021 (4-1 vs Andorra, 3-0 vs Azerbaijan, 4-0 vs Qatar), their most in a calendar year since 2013 (four times).
- Portugal have scored 33 goals in all competitions in 2021, one of only five instances they have scored more than 30 goals in a single calendar year. They last scored more goals in 2017, when they netted 35 times.
