Once again unto the breach.
Stephen Kenny begins his first full qualifying campaign as Ireland manager this week, having taken over from Mick McCarthy towards the latter stages of our ill-fated Euro 2020 journey.
For the new man in charge, it's fair to say things haven't gone according to plan. That penalty shootout defeat to Slovakia coupled with multiple injuries problems and Covid-19 issues have only added to a sense of woe brought on by a run of results that saw us score one goal in eight games throughout the autumn.
However, the World Cup Qualifiers offer an opportunity to start afresh and with no positive Covid cases reported during testing this week, things might be starting to look up. With most of us still confined to our homes, Kenny's Kids should attract large viewing figures for both games this week and you'll find out everything you need to know below...
When are Ireland playing this week?
Ireland travel to Serbia for their opening 2022 World Cup qualifier on Wednesday night before hosting Luxembourg at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday. Both games will kick off at 7.45pm.
How can I watch them?
Both games will be broadcast live on RTÉ 2. Pre-match analysis begins at 7pm on both evenings.
Who else is in our group?
Along with Serbia and Luxembourg, Portugal and Azerbaijan also stand between us and a place in Qatar 2022. Meanwhile, we will also play a friendly against the World Cup hosts in Hungary on Tuesday, March 30.
(header pic: Shutterstock)
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