Kerr gives Miller and Lee chance against Poles
Both will start for the first time in a selection that will, of necessity, be experimental in make-up but overall quite experienced. The team is expected to contain only one other relative newcomer in the exciting Nottingham Forest player, Andy Reid.
Much attention will be focused on the impact that 23-year-old Miller will have on a game that is certain to prove difficult for Ireland, not least because of the absence of 11 of the original squad of 22 players.
It was confirmed yesterday that Robbie Keane, who suffered a blow to the head while playing for Spurs on Sunday against Arsenal, was not fit to travel.
Miller, set to move to Manchester United at the end of the season, has shown in recent matches for Celtic that he has fully recovered from the injury that sidelined him for more than half the season.
His developing fitness was illustrated when he played 90 minutes against Hearts at the weekend.
Said Kerr: "I think it is pragmatic on Celtic's part to be playing him recently. It doesn't make must sense to have such a good player as Liam Miller hanging around the club and not use him and I think it's sensible.
"He's missed a lot of the season and from his point of view and from our point of view I'm glad that he's playing well again now."
Kerr laughed when he was asked by an English journalist to estimate how often the Corkman will play in the Premiership.
"I don't know how many matches he's going to play for United next season but I'm sure he hasn't gone there just to be in the reserve team. He's a determined little fella."
Miller has played just 20 minutes at international level but he was a constant member of the under-age squads as he worked his way up through the ranks while Kerr was in charge. He will play in central midfield against Poland and promises to be the natural successor to Roy Keane for Ireland as well as United. Team captain Kenny Cunningham offered a first-hand view of Miller's qualities when he said: "he's an excellent player. He's a very unassuming character, and very talented. You've only got to spend a small amount of time in his company on the training pitch to realise that."
Miller is not the most imposing character physically but he is strong in possession and loath to give the ball away cheaply. One of his greatest assets is a calm personality.
Cunningham highlighted this when he said: "he's very comfortable on the ball, technically very good and has a good temperament.
"You can see how easily he adapted not only to Scottish football but to European football. He's an excellent all-round player and it is no surprise that a club of the calibre of Manchester United has secured his signature. He is still a very young age and he will be surrounded by some very talented players at United. I'm sure he can only get better in that type of environment and hopefully over time he will get his opportunity, sooner rather than later, and the Irish National team will enjoy the benefit of that."
Alan Lee has made three appearances for Ireland as a substitute and the 25-years-old centre-forward can stake a claim to one of Ireland's problem positions if he can transfer his goal-scoring ability for Cardiff to international level. Another young man who continues to impress for Ireland, in training as well as the match situations, is Andy Reid. The quicksilver Forest player showed excellent form against Canada, Brazil and the Czech Republic and much will be expected from him on Ireland's left wing tonight.
Ireland are missing so many first-choice players that too much importance cannot be attached to the result.
Clearly it is more important in providing experimentation and information for next season's World Cup matches.
Kerr indicated, however, he wanted more than just that.
"I would like a good result to start with. We've lost a lot of the older and more experienced players so it is an opportunity for the younger players to get into the team and to show that they can play their part.
"It's an opportunity for us to expand the squad of players who have experience before the World Cup qualification kicks-off in September.
"As well it's been a bit of a comfort zone playing at Lansdowne Road in front of so many people in. We've had fantastic crowds and great support for the last few games but there are different challenges playing away games and it is good for us to have matches like this against decent opposition."
The game will be televised by Sky Sports, with highlights streamed onto Sky Sports Broadband internet service which is now available via eircom.net'
: Dudek (Liverpool); Zewlakow (Anderlecht), Klos (Wisla Krakow), Glowacki (Wisla Krakow), Rzasa (Partizan Belgrade); Smolarek (Rotterdam), Lewandowski (Shakhtar Donetsk), Szymkowiak (Wisla Krakow), Kosowski (Kaiserslautern); Olisadebe (Panathinaikos), Zurawski (Wisla Krakow.
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