John Fallon: Cullen injury blow means Hallgrimsson must make big midfield call 

Ireland’s first-choice midfielder for the past five years is the type whose attributes are often only appreciated when absent.

Burnley's Josh Cullen goes down injured. Pic: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.

If there’s any consolation from the heart being ripped out of Ireland’s midfield, it’s the early notice it provided in planning for Czechia.

Ireland, in an ideal world, would have carried momentum from their November heroics into an immediate playoff but the four-month wait presents contrasting dynamics.