John O'Shea: 'The players will know today what the team will be'

Captain Séamus Coleman should make his first appearance for a year and the Championship’s top scorer Sammie Szmodics will be handed his debut at the ripe age of 28.

OLÉ, O'SHEA: Interim head coach John O'Shea during a Republic of Ireland media conference at the FAI Headquarters in Abbotstown, Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

John O’Shea will inform players today of his first Ireland XI, armed with instructions to go toe-to-toe with Belgium on Saturday.

The interim boss only has this friendly and another home fixture against Switzerland on Tuesday before a soon-to-be-confirmed permanent chief assumes control in early April.