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Sunny day: Jeff Hendrick, left, and Hoolahan share a smile in Malahide. ©INPHO/Donall Farmer
Road to Brazil

Tardelli points to central role for Hoolahan

Richard Dunne sat out this morning’s session in Malahide but Marco Tardelli is pleased with the defender’s recovery since returning to action on Sunday.

WES HOOLAHAN LOOKS increasingly likely to start Friday’s World Cup qualifier against the Faroe Islands, with Republic of Ireland assistant Marco Tardelli confident that the Norwich playmaker can operate in a two-man central midfield.

With James McCarthy ruled out of the Aviva Stadium match through suspension, Hoolahan is set to bring some creative flair to the Irish line-up if handed his first competitive start against the Group C minnows.

“We have good strikers,” Tardelli said as the squad reassembled. “Hoolahan, for me and Giovanni, can play in the midfield like against Georgia. It’s possible that he’ll play in midfield.”

Goalkeeper David Forde and Marc Wilson both sat out training while Richard Dunne watched this morning’s session in Malahide from the sidelines.

(©INPHO/Donall Farmer)

Dunne came on a second-half substitute in Sunday’s win against Georgia, his first competitive appearance for club or country in almost a year, and Tardelli was pleased with the defender’s progress.

His recovery is good — good for him, good for us. I don’t know, I think it’s possible for him to play against the Faroes and Spain. Today he was rested and I think it’s good for him to be here.

On a day when the sun shone on Malahide, the hint of summer matched the mood in the camp. The Faroes come to Dublin this week with four defeats from four and a crippling 15 goals conceded, and Tardelli is happy that competition within the squad is bringing the best out of the players.

John O’Shea and Stephen Quinn compete (©INPHO/Donall Farmer)

“There are many young players and they understand that everything is possible, for all the players. They can play against Spain, against the Faroes, against Georgia and England. They know that we can put always put them on the pitch. They believe in us and we’ve started to believe in ourselves.

“Against Faroes we need to take the ball, play with the ball and play with our usual quality,” he added. “I think it’s possible to play like against Georgia — we always want to play like against Georgia but sometimes it’s not possible.”

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