We won’t be in holiday mode on Sunday, declares Stephen Kenny

Dundalk boss Stephen Kenny admits he will have to give serious consideration to how best to manage the balance of work, rest, and play for his players in the period covering their final two Europa League Group D games.

While the Lilywhites still have a busy domestic schedule to complete and an away game to Zenit to negotiate before the domestic season ends with the FAI Cup final against Cork City on November 6, thereafter they will go from feast to famine in terms of fixtures, with their games at home to AZ Alkmaar and away to Maccabi not taking place until November 24 and December 8 respectively.

Still, coming to terms with the disappointment of their 2-1 defeat to Zenit in Tallaght on Thursday, Kenny admits that he has had little or no time, given the team’s heavy workload, to look ahead to a time when, even with big games still to play, Dundalk will find themselves with unaccustomed time on their hands.