Despite John Caulfield's 'guinea pigs' claim, Ireland U21s keep two squads on standby for Montenegro

The FAI are working closely with its colleagues in the English FA on the matter but, as of last night, there was still no sign of a resolution

Alex Gilbert, centre, with Mark McGuinness, right, and Conor Noss during a Republic of Ireland U21 training session. Picture: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Republic of Ireland U21 goalkeeper Brian Maher admits it would be a major challenge if Covid issues force Jim Crawford into wholesale changes to his team for the second of their two upcoming European qualifiers.

Under guidelines, any UK-based Ireland U21 player travelling for next week's game in Montenegro game would need to undergo a period in quarantine before returning to their clubs so the FAI is hoping that the British government grants an exemption for footballers.