#squad-rotation

#squad-rotation

He missed a lot of pre-season. He is ready for one game a week, maybe 70-90 [minutes]. He played 90 for Argentina and was really tired after 70 so doesn't have the right build-up to play three games a week, 90 minutes. I was always sure I would take him off after 60 minutes for him to be ready to be back on the pitch on Wednesday and Saturday and I already made one substitution in the first half.

Ireland hope to back up last week's opening World Cup win over Japan with another victory at Franklin's Gardens in Northampton this afternoon. Scott Bemand has made seven changes for today's game against Spain, as the side keep one eye on their final Pool C clash with New Zealand next Sunday. Rian Noctor takes you through all the action below on our liveblog.

"Then we will make the choice to try to get the best starting XI to win the game."

Image source, SNS Celtic are about to set off to Kazakhstan on the most important trip of their season. They do so on the back of three goals, three points and a decent-enough display, from a much-changed team against Livingston, which keeps up the Scottish champions' perfect domestic start. Amid all that at Celtic Park on Saturday, there was some of the stodginess that characterised the drab goalless first leg against the Kazakhs and more grumbling from the fans.

The build-up to this game has been completely dominated by a disastrous day for Drogheda United, especially painful as Shamrock Rovers are in town.