Seamus Coleman included in reduced Irish squad

Martin O’Neill has reduced his provisional 40-man squad to 27 for Ireland’s Uefa Euro 2016 Group D qualifiers against Germany and Poland - and Seamus Coleman has been included.

Despite the Everton right-back still struggling with a hamstring problem he has been included in the squad for the two games and will be given every chance to prove his fitness - against Germany at the Aviva Stadium on Thursday, October 8th, and Poland in Warsaw on Sunday, October 11th.

The last time he played was in the club's 3-1 win over Chelsea on September 12th, when he was limped off after 77 minutes.

The revised Irish squad includes two uncapped players, Eunan O'Kane and Alan Judge, while three players - Stephen Quinn (knee), Harry Arter (groin) and Ciaran Clark (quad) - have been ruled out because of injury.

The squad will assemble in Dublin on Sunday evening and train on Monday at the FAI’s National Training Centre on the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown. Marc Wilson will remain at Stoke City for treatment on a calf injury which will be reviewed by the Ireland medical staff early in the week.

Ireland are still aiming for a second place finish in the group which will bring with it secure automatic qualification for France 2016.

Republic of Ireland squad: David Ford (Milwall), Shay Given (Stoke City), Darren Randolph (West Ham United), Richard Keogh (Derby County), Seamus Coleman (Everton), Cyrus Christie (Derby County), John O'Shea (Sunderland), Alex Pearce (Derby County), Paul McShane (Reading), Stephen Ward (Burnley), Robbie Brady (Norwich City), Marc Wilson (Stoke City), James McCarthy (Everton), Jeff Hendrick (Derby County), Glenn Whelan (Stoke City), Aiden McGeady (Everton), James McClean (West Bromwich Albion), Alan Judge (Brentford), David Meyler (Hull City), Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City), Eunan O'Kane (Bournemouth), Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), Shane Long (Southampton), Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town), Jonathan Walters (Ipswich Town).