Weakened Irish arrive in Bosnia, will the Dragons delight the nation?

The Republic of Ireland football team arrives in Bosnia and Herzegovina today, and the encounter with Mehmed Baždarević's Dragons will not be easy, writes the Bosnian news agency Patria.

Irish media have been reporting for days that their key defensive players and regular goalkeeper are injured, and the bad news has also worried manager Martin O'Neill, who is being offered a new contract on the Irish bench.

Shane Long misses the first match, and his participation in the return leg in Dublin on 16 November is questionable; goalkeeper Shay Given is also injured, while John O'Shea and Jon Walters are suspended for the first match.

Seamus Coleman, Wes Hoolahan, James McCarthy, Glenn Whelan and Marc Wilson are on yellow cards, meaning much could change before the return leg.

On the other hand, Baždarević cannot count on Muhamed Bešić in this first match as he is suspended, but Irish media note that the duo Edin Džeko and Miralem Pjanić, as well as goalkeeper Asmir Begović, each have a yellow card.