Jaden Umeh and Mason Melia to be kept in reserve for Ireland's friendly against Qatar

PATIENCE: Jaden Umeh during a training session with Ireland. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne.

Youth must wait until Montreal for its chance as Heimir Hallgrímsson has confirmed an experienced Ireland team will start Thursday night’s friendly against Qatar at Lansdowne Road (7.45pm).

The Icelander spent two and half years working in the Gulf State managing Al-Arabi and is aware of their intention to prevail in their first match since December.

Julen Lopetegui’s side, like Friday week’s opponents Canada, are preparing for a World Cup next month which Ireland agonisingly missed out by blowing their playoff semi-final in Czechia eight weeks ago.

Uncapped teens Jaden Umeh of Benfica and Tottenham Hotspurs’ Mason Melia must be patient before their elevation from the U21s is complete.

Séamus Coleman will lead the team out for the first time since he confirmed his departure from Everton after 17 years.

“We will go for experience tomorrow, starting with the players that have been with us before,” said Hallgrímsson.

"Troy Parrott was taken off early in his last game but he's okay. He did some individual training yesterday and then came and joined the training. It was just an assessment and we'll take it carefully with him but he and everybody else is fit.

“We’ve only had one proper day’s training with the squad. Once this match is over, it gives us another week to prepare the younger guys for the Canada match.

“Hopefully we can give some of them some time on the pitch tomorrow, but given this is a strong opponent going for the World Cup who I know quite well, we need experience.

Coleman turns 38 in September but key to the decision-making around his club future was remaining involved with Ireland. He collected just 20 minutes of Premier League game-time with the Toffees this term and is seeking a fresh challenge to bolster his exposure.

“If we'd got to a World Cup, maybe things would be different,” he admits about his international retirement plans changing.

“I spoke to the manager and he said if I can be fit and well and perform and he would like to have me around.

“So, as soon as the carrot of Ireland got dangled in front of me, that became a massive factor in my decisions and I'm looking forward to the two games now in the summer and having a break and kind of seeing where I go next or where I stand after that.

“It was just a conversation with the manager on the bus, just after training one day that got me thinking again.

“I wasn’t necessarily thinking about it but I also know I have a responsibility to stay fit and stay active and to be performing, because it is not a given, of course.

“That is why I am not dead set on what I am going to do, I am going to take my holiday and see what’s out there, but the carrot of the Euro finals in 2028, plus the manager at the moment wanting me to be around, is definitely very tempting.”