Troy Parrott ruled out as a starter against Serbia

OFF THE MARK: Troy Parrott celebrates his first senior goal, the winner for Ipswich in League One at home to Plymouth

Amid all the questions and lack of answers there was one declaration of fact from Stephen Kenny yesterday: Troy Parrott will not be starting against Serbia next Wednesday.

So much else remains up in the air.

Among the debates to run through Kenny’s brief time in charge of the senior team has been the quandary over what to do with Seamus Coleman and Matt Doherty, two thoroughbred full-backs seemingly unable to share the same stable.

Doherty got the nod originally thanks to a superb run of form with Wolves last season, a transfer to Tottenham Hotspur and Coleman’s injury difficulties at Everton, but the gap between them has narrowed in the months since.

Doherty has, by his own admittance, struggled at Spurs while Coleman hasn’t been helped by ongoing injury niggles, but Kenny hinted strongly that there will be scope for playing both at some point across the three-game stretch to come.

“We have two competitive games and the friendly with Qatar so there are circumstances where they can both play in the team,” he said.

Kenny was on hand at Goodison early in February when Doherty played a regular right-back role and Coleman, after coming on as a sub, featured further up the opposite wing in a reversal of what’s considered their best positions.

“Matt has had some criticism this season. He has not always been in the team and competition for places is tough at Tottenham but I was at a couple of games recently at White Hart Lane where he played well.

“He has sort of gone from being named in the UEFA team of the week in Europe to maybe being left out. That is the nature of it for him at the moment but he’s had a lot of games recently and it’s great to have the two of them,” he added.