ICELAND travel to Dublin tomorrow for Sunday's World Cup qualifying clash against Ireland with injuries to several key players having forced national coach Logi Olafsson to make a number of changes to his 18-man squad.
Missing are the twin forward partnership of Arnar and Bjarki Gunnlaugsson, and veteran striker Arnor Gudjohnsen. Also absent is Gudjohnsen's son, 18-year-old Eidur Smari, whose personal memories of Ireland are far from good. Valued by his club PSV Eindhoven at £4 million, he is still recovering from a double leg break sustained in a youth international against Ireland early this year.
While the changes mean international recalls for midfielders Hlynur Birgisson and Hermann Hreidarsson, adding to Olafsson's worries are doubts surrounding the fitness of skipper Gudni Bergsson and midfielder Agust Gylfason. The Bolton defender has not trained since picking up a hamstring injury against Reading 10 days ago, while the Brann player is struggling to overcome the effects of a calf strain.
"No decision can be taken on either player until later this week," Olafsson told The Irish Times yesterday. "The squad will train at Lansdowne Road on Friday and Saturday and obviously, whatever the outcome, it will have a major effect on our tactics for the match as the absence of either radically alters the shape of the side."
Most attention will be focused on goalkeeper Birkir Kristinsson. Out in the cold for several weeks at Brann Bergen after taking time out to play a friendly international against the Czech Republic two months ago, it was his amazing performance against Dutch masters PSV last Thursday which earned the Norwegian side a 2-2 draw, and a place in the last eight of the Cup Winners' Cup. Come Sunday, Iceland may well need a few more of his miracle saves.
