U21 boss Crawford confident Ireland ready for Italian job

Young Boys in Green face Azzurri in Pisa in hunt for Euro qualification  

Ireland U21 boss  Jim Crawford says players "focused" on task despite a host of distruptions. 

Jim Crawford has no doubt but that his Republic of Ireland U21 side will be switched on and ready for the task at hand in today's crucial Euro 2021 qualifier (4pm), regardless of what sort of Italy team faces them at the Arena Garibaldi in Pisa.

Like the senior team, the U21s international window has been a fog of confusion thanks to Covid issues. Unlike Stephen Kenny's squad, those issues have all been, touch wood, in the opposition camp ahead of a game between the top two sides in Group 1.