Club uncertainty hangs over key players in Stephen Kenny's World Cup plans

Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny and Shane Duffy following the international friendly match against Hungary. Picture: Alex Nicodim/Sportsfile

Stephen Kenny expects a significant number of his Republic of Ireland squad to have new clubs when they assemble for the World Cup qualification triple-header in five weeks' time.

Several points from the trip to Portugal and visits of Azerbaijan and Serbia in early September are essential for Kenny’s side to remain competitive during the remainder of the campaign. Back-to-back defeats to Serbia and Luxembourg already leave them trailing the Portuguese and Serbs by seven points.