Kelly to lead Ireland against Uruguay

Soccer: Stephen Kelly will captain the Republic of Ireland from central defence in tomorrow night 's friendly against Uruguay, earning his 21st cap in a makeshift team to be pitted against the World Cup semi-finalists. A combination of injuries and the departure of four senior players – Robbie Keane, Richard Dunne, Kevin Kilbane and Damien Duff – mean Kelly, at 27, is the most experienced among the home side's ranks.

With nothing at stake it looks as if Giovanni Trapattoni is ready to deviate from the script and deploy a five-man midfield behind Shane Long in attack.

Having made his first competitive appearance off the bench against Macedonia on Saturday, Wigan's James McCarthy is set to start behind the striker, with Andy Keogh and Liam Lawrence on the wings and Keith Fahey and Paul Green in the middle.

Kelly is by far the most experienced in a backline that includes Aston Villa’s Ciaran Clark on the left, Darren O’Dea in the centre and Kevin Foley on the right.

Keiren Westwood continues in goal in the absence of Shay Given. He, along with Foley and O’Dea, was another to make his competitive debut in the 2-1 win over Macedonia.

Whether forced upon him or not, the manager's decision to play one up front and redistribute more manpower to midfield will cheer those calling for him to adequately explore a Plan B formation.

Ireland have struggled during the qualifiers, most notably in the 3-2 defeat to Russia, to dominate midfield and control the tempo of the game, often ceding possession to their opponents all too easily.

The selection of Fahey and Green was made easier by an injury to Glenn Whelan, who might have captained the side had he not pulled out of the matchday squad. He and Darron Gibson started as the central pairing in Saturday's 4-4-2 but were criticised from outside the camp for not stamping their authority on the game.

The central combination for tomorrow's game would appear to based around a similar dynamic, with Green the Whelan to Fahey's Gibson - a ball-winner coupled with a ball-player.

Crucially, however, with McCarthy operating off Long, and Keogh and Lawrence providing width, the gap between midfield and attack could be narrowed significantly, in theory making it easier to keep hold of the ball.

There will be two new options on the bench after Marc Wilson joined Stoke team-mate Whelan on the way back to England, prompting Trapattoni to bring Damien Delaney and striker Anthony Stokes into the squad.

Rep of Ireland (v Uruguay):Westwood; Foley, O'Dea, Kelly (capt), Clark; Lawrence, Fahey, Green, Keogh; McCarthy, Long