Stephen Kenny insists his team to face France is not a closed shop and wants players to step out of the shadows tonight.
The Ireland boss will play an experimental side in the friendly clash with Latvia, with fringe players getting a chance to shine while others are in need of a game.
Celtic’s Mikey Johnston - on loan with Portuguese top flight side Vitória Guimarães - could make his debut at some point after securing international clearance.
But Kenny was coy on whether the Glasgow-born winger would make the starting line up, merely stating: “We’ll have to wait and see”.
Matt Doherty will captain Ireland for the first time and needs the game time having played just once since moving to Atletico Madrid on deadline day.
Seamus Coleman and John Egan are likely to be rested, with Nathan Collins in line to feature after a run of games on the Wolves bench.
Andrew Omobamidele should feature in that rearguard too, having missed all of Ireland’s games in 2022 because of injury.
Will Smallbone - chasing a debut - and Mark Sykes are among the attacking midfielders looking for an opportunity to impress Kenny with Monday in mind.
And Premier League hotshot Evan Ferguson has already been assured of a first start in attack.
Kenny said last night: “It’s tough because some of the players have played on Sunday and it’s tough to play on Wednesday.
“Some players were only in on Monday morning, but the greater reward is we get a greater lead-in for Monday’s game.
“We've a number of players who've not been playing regularly or who have been playing intermittently.
“This game is important for those players and for us to evaluate where they all are.
“It’s also important for them to make an impact and put themselves in contention for selection against France.
“Whether that’s as starters or players who can make an impact off the bench because we'll need a squad next Monday.
“That’s why it’s an important game. We want to maximise the opportunity for the players to give us every chance against France.”
Latvia are ranked 133rd in the world and Kenny added: “It's our ambition to win the game but in all international games, you can't take anything for granted.
“Latvia's ranking is low but they’ve had some very good results. Drawing 3-3 with Turkey, 0-0 with Norway, beating Lithuania 3-1, and a 1-0 (loss) with Holland.
“They’ve shown the capacity to put in some good performances, so you have to earn the right in every international game.
“They’re not that defensive a team and they carry a threat themselves. We’ve just got to focus on our own performance and work on improving ourselves.”
