Republic of Ireland v Grenada, Estadio Enrique Roca de Murcia, 5pm (live on the RTÉ Player)
Post-Prague, we have negotiated the different stages of footballing grief: shock, anger, depression and finally an acceptance that the Republic of Ireland must now enter the purgatory of soulless friendlies until the opportunity for redemption arrives with the next qualification cycle.
The Boys in Green had to plod through the ultimate 'nobody wants this' game against North Macedonia a few days after their World Cup dreams were shattered by Czechia.
In late May/early June, they'll host Qatar at Aviva Stadium and then head to Montreal to play Jesse Marsch's Canada.
The national enthusiasm for these games is understandably subdued, but this evening's friendly with the Caribbean island of Grenada, ranked 163rd in the world, has a novelty factor that makes it interesting.
Why Grenada? Hallgrimsson - who previously managed Jamaica - has a good relationship with their FA, saying: "It's not easy to have an opponent at this time but I know the president and I gave him a call. They play a lot of games outside the FIFA window so they were ready to come.
"They have a lot of players in Europe, in England, so I knew there would be a lot of players in their squad that would be out of competition. I know quite a lot about them."
Hallgrimsson wants to have a separate January camp for LOI players to give them a taste of the environment without disrupting the domestic campaign.
For this Spanish sun-kissed window he's picked a squad of mainly players from the Championship and League One given those involved in the play-offs, Premier League, the LOI and the Scottish Premiership are still on club duty.
That means he's capping fringe men with a point to prove, and a hunger to show they're good enough to be involved in September's Nations League internationals against Kosovo and Israel.
Nobody will be going through the motions.
Certainly for someone like the uncapped Jack Moylan, this week is a real opportunity. The 24-year-old Dubliner has been a big hit at Lincoln City since moving from Shelbourne in January 2024. Lincoln have just been promoted to the Championship for the first time in 65 years and Moylan has been key to that achievement.
Andrew Moran has three Ireland appearances under his belt but the technically gifted midfielder has perhaps not kicked on in the manner many hoped when he was coming through the ranks at Brighton. He signed for Preston in February off the back of a positive loan spell with Los Angeles FC in the MLS. A good outing here would be a timely reminder of his talents.
Portsmouth attacker Millenic Alli could be considered a late bloomer. Aged 26, he got his first call-up for the North Macedonia game and has made an impression in Spain, heading home the opening goal in a training match win against Real Murcia B last Tuesday. Alli had another effort ruled out for offside.
Former Shamrock Rovers forward Aidomo Emakhu - now at Oxford United - is another one hoping to show he can offer something different in the final third.
For many, however, the most intriguing subplot centres around the involvement (if there is to be any involvement) of Newcastle United midfielder Rory Finneran.
Manchester-born Finneran became Blackburn Rovers' youngest ever player in January 2024 after making his debut as a 15-year-old in an FA Cup tie. He captained Ireland at last November's Under-17s World Cup in Qatar, and is considered to be a prospect with a very high ceiling.
It's obvious Finneran is being fast-tracked because of his potential. He is also eligible to play for England, and it would be naive to ignore the delicacy of that situation.
"We'll see if he's ready or not but based on training he's a really impressive young player," said Hallgrimsson. "The future is his now, so he needs to nurture his young talent."
Supporting this batch of rookies is an experienced core: Dara O'Shea, Jayson Molumby, Jason Knight, Adam Idah and Chiedozie Ogbene are all there to offer guidance.
Cork teenager Jaden Umeh was initially included but later withdrew because Benfica Under-19s are still looking to secure their qualification for next season's UEFA Youth League.
On the flip side, Dundee United allowed tenacious full-back Will Ferry to fly out to Murcia on Thursday after he received a late call-up.
Hallgrimsson has just one injury concern: Blackburn defender Eiran Cashin stepped out of Tuesday's training match as a precaution and continues to be monitored.
"Really happy, really impressed," the boss said yesterday. "A lot of players that have not had national team experience, nine players in this group without a national team cap.
"You get the time to know the players. What we have felt is really positive and the players have done themselves proud. The game is tomorrow and we'll get answers then."
Republic of Ireland squad
Goalkeepers: Max O'Leary (WBA), Josh Keeley (Luton Town), Killian Cahill (Leyton Orient)
Defenders: Dara O'Shea (Ipswich), Eiran Cashin (Blackburn), James Abankwah (Watford), Mark McGuinness (Sheffield United), Tayo Adaramola (Sheffield Wednesday), Will Ferry (Dundee United)
Midfielders: Jayson Molumby (WBA), Jason Knight (Bristol City), Conor Coventry (Charlton Athletic), Andrew Moran (Preston), Rory Finneran (Newcastle)
Forwards: Adam Idah (Swansea City), Tom Cannon (Sheff United), Chiedozie Ogbene (Sheffield United), Millenic Alli (Portsmouth), Jack Moylan (Lincoln City), Aidomo Emakhu (Oxford Utd)
Watch Republic of Ireland v Grenada on Saturday from 5pm on RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app.
