Jack Taylor has been named to start in the Republic of Ireland's crunch World Cup play-off semi-final against Czechia in Prague.
The Ipswich Town midfielder replaces the injured Josh Cullen in Heimir Hallgrimsson’s team at the Fortuna Arena, while Chiedozie Ogbene will start in support of centre forward Troy Parrott.
Taylor has been preferred to Jason Knight in the centre of the Irish midfield and will partner Jayson Molumby in that engine room, along with attacking midfielder Finn Azaz.
Hallgrimsson has picked a back five with Séamus Coleman and Ryan Manning at wing back and Jake O’Brien, captain Nathan Collins and Dara O’Shea forming the central trio.
Taylor and Manning, who comes in for the suspended Liam Scales, are the only changes from the Ireland team that beat Hungary in their last match in Budapest last November.
Beyond the unavailable Scales, Stoke City’s Bosun Lawal is the only other player from the 25 left out of the matchday squad.
Meanwhile, Czechia have confirmed speculation that former captain Tomas Soucek would be dropped.
The West Ham midfielder who was stripped of the captaincy after the 6-0 win over Gibraltar in November, has been left on the bench.
Veteran Vladimir Darida, who has come out of international retirement ahead of these play-offs comes into the team, while Lyon’s Pavel Sulc starts behind a forward line of Bayer Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick and Slavia Prague’s Tomas Chory.
Czechia: Matej Kovar; Vladimir Coufal, Tomas Holes, Robin Hranac, Ladislav Krejci (capt), David Jurasek; Vladimir Darida, Lukas Provod; Pavel Sulc; Tomas Chory, Patrik Schick.
Republic of Ireland: Caoimhín Kelleher; Séamus Coleman, Jake O’Brien, Nathan Collins (capt), Dara O’Shea, Ryan Manning; Jayson Molumby, Jack Taylor, Finn Azaz; Chiedozie Ogbene, Troy Parrott.
Referee: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
Watch Czechia v Republic of Ireland on Thursday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app or listen to commentary on Inside Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
