Ireland manager Martin O’Neill designated it the “tie of the round” yesterday after he helped pair Cork City and St Patrick’s Athletic in the draw for the Third Round of the FAI Cup.

Ireland duo James McCarthy and Seamus Coleman will miss Everton’s Europa League trip to Russia to play FC Krasnodar tonight (5pm, live on Setanta Ireland, ITV4).

Hull’s first Europa League campaign ended in disappointment at the play-off stage after a vital away goal for Lokeren saw the Belgian side through at the KC Stadium last night — despite Ireland’s Robbie Brady’s best efforts.

The mood in the Sweden camp is serious ahead of tonight’s crucial clash with Kazakhstan, with star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic adding his voices to those demanding focus on the tie in Astana rather than speculating about likely play-off opponents.