It's all getting very real now as the Republic of Ireland fly out to Prague ahead of their World Cup play-off against Czechia on Thursday night.
Heimir Hallgrimsson has some big calls to make.
A few players pick themselves. Caoimhin Kelleher came through Brentford's goalless draw at Leeds unscathed on Saturday and will be between the sticks, backed up by Mark Travers - deputising for Jordan Pickford at Everton - and Luton Town's Josh Keeley, who is included in the senior squad for the first time.
Up top, Troy Parrott carries the hopes of a nation. His brilliant five-goal burst against Portugal and Hungary back in November is the reason Ireland are in this position. He's maintained his goalscoring form at AZ Alkmaar, playing with a swagger and quality that's turned heads across Europe.
In the absence of the injured Evan Ferguson (ankle), Parrott is Ireland's biggest goalscoring threat. The Dubliner took things easy in training on Monday having featured in AZ's 3-0 loss at Grongingen just 24 hours previously.
In other areas of the pitch, there's plenty to chew over.
Hallgrimsson will probably go with the fluid 5-4-1 shape he started with in Budapest, so it'll be three of Nathan Collins, Dara O'Shea, Jake O'Brien or John Egan in central defence. James Abankwah is in the mix too but Halgrimsson views the versatile Watford man as a good bench option given his adaptability across the back line.
Collins is back in favour at Brentford following a spell on the bench so there's no chance he comes out of the defence, unless Hallgrimsson asks him to step into the middle of the park, which seems unlikely. O'Shea will start, while Egan - rock solid at Hull City this season - might get in if O'Brien is deployed at wing-back.
Liam Scales is suspended, so the other wing-back options are Seamus Coleman, Robbie Brady, Ryan Manning, Jimmy Dunne and possibly Alan Browne, who's listed in the squad as a midfielder but has played in a back five for Middlesbrough.
Coleman picked up a minor knock in Everton training three weeks ago but is OK; a serious lack of game time is a bigger concern. He was an unused sub in the Toffees' 3-0 victory over Chelsea last Saturday. Indeed the Donegal native has only 10 minutes of league action under his belt since the end of November.
Still, it was a similar story against Portugal and the Hungarians, and Coleman was immense. He's earned Hallgrimsson's trust, so should get the nod on the right.
Brady is a live option for the left side though he's in a similar boat to Coleman having missed a huge chunk of the campaign with a calf injury. He returned to the fray with Preston last month but Southampton's Manning looks the likelier pick from the start.
In midfield, Josh Cullen (ACL) is a significant loss. How Hallgrimsson fills the void at the base of his midfield will be crucial.
Jayson Molumby looks like the obvious pick to replace Cullen, while Browne - enjoying an excellent season in the Championship with Boro - is another Jack-of-all-trades option capable of doing a job in the middle. His last Ireland appearance came in September 2024 against Greece.
Jack Taylor will certainly be in Hallgrimsson's thoughts, battling with Jason Knight to partner Molumby. The head coach will want his box midfield to be as solid as possible out of possession, and though Bosun Lawal offers genuine physical presence, he comes into Ireland camp having just returned from a hamstring injury.
Lawal's manager at Stoke City, Mark Robins, aired concerns about the 22-year-old's selection, saying 10 days ago: "I'd say he’s close, but he’s still not fit, and Bosun is a big, big man." On Monday, Ireland assistant John O'Shea responded: "If he was injured, he wouldn't be here."
Finn Azaz was brilliant in the last 20 minutes against Hungary, when he dropped deeper to pull the strings. He'll be asked to feed Parrott again on Thursday, with QPR's Harvey Vale the wildcard playmaker. The former England Under-19s captain was a surprise call-up last week, but there's high hopes he can establish himself as a quality international footballer in the coming years. Thursday would be a hell of a time for the talented 22-year-old to get his debut.
Chiedozie Ogbene's ferocious appetite for graft is such an asset for Ireland. However he's another one who's been starved of club minutes. Ogbene came off the bench for Sheffield United against Wrexham at the weekend. He's recently been playing with the Under-21s due to the Blades having exceeded the quota of loan players allowed in a matchday squad. Hallgrimsson might hold the 28-year-old back so he has pace on the bench.
Parrott will lead the line of course, though attacking options on the bench are quite light.
Sammie Szmodics is back in the fold. Halgrimsson travelled to Derby County's training ground for a meeting with the forward a few weeks ago. Szmodics irritated Ireland fans back in September/October when he pulled out of consecutive international windows before subsequently featuring for his club Ipswich Town days later.
He departed Ipswich in January, joining Derby on loan, with Tractor Boys boss Kieran McKenna revealing: "It was a decision that was made in the best interests of our group dynamic, of our dressing room culture, of the values of our dressing room and of our team."
There's two other Ipswich players in this Ireland squad: Taylor and O'Shea.
Hallgrimsson is giving Szmodics a big chance. He obviously feels he's worth the risk given Adam Idah has just come back from hamstring injury that sidelined him in December, though Johnny Kenny has done quite well at Bolton Wanderers since he went there on loan from Celtic at the end of the January window.
It'd be quite a story if Szmodics redeems himself with a big goal on Thursday. He has to be in the reckoning to start ahead of Ogbene.
Whichever way Hallgrimsson sets up, the stage is set for someone to make themselves a hero.
Watch Czechia v Republic of Ireland on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player from 7pm on Thursday, 26 March. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app or listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1.
Republic of Ireland squad
Goalkeepers: Caoimhín Kelleher (Brentford), Mark Travers (Everton), Josh Keeley (Luton Town).
Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton), Jimmy Dunne (QPR), Nathan Collins (Brentford), Dara O'Shea (Ipswich Town), Jake O'Brien (Everton), John Egan (Hull City), James Abankwah (Watford), Liam Scales (Celtic)*, Robbie Brady (Preston North End), Ryan Manning (Southampton).
Midfielders: Jayson Molumby (West Bromwich Albion), Bosun Lawal (Stoke City), Jack Taylor (Ipswich Town), Alan Browne (Middlesbrough), Jason Knight (Bristol City), Finn Azaz (Southampton), Harvey Vale (QPR).
Attackers: Troy Parrott (AZ Alkmaar), Adam Idah (Swansea City), Johnny Kenny (Bolton Wanderers, on loan from Celtic), Chiedozie Ogbene (Sheffield United, on loan from Ipswich Town), Sammie Szmodics (Derby County, on loan from Ipswich Town)
