Ireland Under-21s set for return against Ukraine

Republic of Ireland Under-21s will play their first friendly of the June international window against Ukraine in Bad Waltersdorf, Austria on Friday.

The Boys in Green saw a friendly scheduled for earlier in the week against Gabon cancelled after the African side failed to travel to Austria.

Head coach Jim Crawford used the additional time to prepare for Ukraine who are about to play in the Under-21 European Championships in Romania/Georgia.

Like Ireland, Ukraine reached the play-offs, but navigated their way to the finals with a 5-3 aggregate win over against Slovakia

The young Irish side are preparing for the start of their qualification campaign in September and have five players in their squad who competed in the U19 EURO qualifiers earlier this season.

Crystal Palace's Tayo Adaramola and QPR's Sinclair Armstrong are doubts for tomorrow’s game.

Ireland Under-21s midfielder Killian Phillips said: "We’re looking forward to the game. It’s probably made us a bit hungrier to play because we didn’t get to play Gabon.

"The group is really together, this is only our second camp together but we’re all looking for it, we’re all buzzing and we’re all getting along and all heads are switched on for the game on Friday.

"Ukraine are a very good team and that’s the standard we should be looking to compete with. It will be a tough game, we’ve a couple of 17 and 18-year-olds in the squad and Ukraine will be older but if you look at the character we showed in the Iceland game we’ll all stick together and it will be a good test for us."

Ireland Under-21s squad

Goalkeepers: Tiernan Brooks (Notts County), Killian Cahill (Brighton & Hove Albion), Josh Keeley (Tottenham Hotspur)

Defenders: James Abankwah (Udinese), Tayo Adaramola (Crystal Palace),