Ireland's Richard Keogh hoping for a clean sheet and a bit of magic against Bosnia

Edin Dzeko tried to be diplomatic, even if he didn’t try too hard to think. After the Bosnia and Herzegovina striker spent a few minutes talking about how Ireland’s many absent players wouldn’t negatively affect Martin O’Neill’s side, the 29-year-old was asked which opposition players had impressed him.

He again resorted to open platitudes about how many of the Irish squad play in the Premier League, rather than actually naming one of them, and it was impossible not to think he wouldn’t have known too much about his likely marker Richard Keogh’s game from his performances in the Championship.

The Derby County centre-half, however, knows all about Dzeko. “He is a high calibre player,” Keogh said. “We know all about him from the Premier League with Manchester City. Like any professional, I want to play against the best. He’s right up there. From a personal point of view, I’m looking forward to the challenge.”