International friendly: Republic of Ireland v Qatar, Aviva Stadium, Thursday, 7.45pm – Live RTÉ 2Ireland are expected to field a strong team against Julen Lopetegui’s Qatar with the inclusion of Troy Parrott, Séamus Coleman and Caoimhín Kelleher potentially swelling the Aviva crowd to 30,000 on Thursday night. The fixture is an ideal World Cup warm-up for Lopetegui, the former Spain and Real Madrid manager. Qatar have been drawn in Group B alongside co-hosts Canada, who Ireland also play in a friendly on June 6th in Montreal. “This is the only day we have a proper training session with everybody ready and fit, so we will go for experience tomorrow,” said Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson. “We’ll start with the ones that have been with us before. That gives us another week to prepare the younger guys for the Canada match. “Hopefully we can give some of them some time on the pitch [against Qatar], but given this is a strong opponent going for the World Cup, I know we need experience.”Parrott has shaken off a rib injury sustained on May 17th, in what may prove his last game for AZ Alkmaar before an expected move away from the Dutch Eredivisie next season. “Troy was taken off early in his last game but he is okay,” Hallgrímsson explained. “He did some individual training yesterday and then he came and joined the training. We’ll take it carefully with him, but he’s fit and everybody is fit.”The focus of Wednesday morning’s press conference at Abbotstown was on Coleman’s future club. Though his 17-year association with Everton is coming to an end, the right-back has confirmed he hopes to play at Euro 2028 when Ireland’s three group games will be in Dublin. Coleman would be 39 by then, which chimes with remarks by his former Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti, who said in 2020 that he had the work ethic to play into his 40s.“If Carlo Ancelotti said it, I am not going to contradict him,” said Coleman. “Listen, I have been unfortunate with some injuries so maybe there is not as many miles on the clock as some other 37-year-olds. Physically, I am not up and down like a 24-year-old but I do feel really good.“It is going to be a nice summer to sit down, relax, see how I feel, reflect and see where we go from there.”Turns out, Hallgrímsson twisted Coleman’s arm in recent months to find a new club, potentially outside the Premier League, where he can maintain the match fitness to keep playing international football. Republic of Ireland captain Séamus Coleman said a conversation with manager Heimir Hallgrímsson has made him rethink his options. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho “It was just a conversation with the manager on the bus, after training one day that got me thinking again. I am not dead set on what I am going to do. I am going to take my holiday and see what’s out there, but the carrot of the Euros and the manager at the moment wanting me to be around is definitely very tempting.”Presuming Coleman will start at right wing back, Nathan Collins could lead the side from centre half, alongside Dara O’Shea and Jake O’Brien, with Kelleher in goal, Parrott up front and Jayson Moulmby in midfield. The teenage call-ups, Jaden Umeh, Mason Melia and Adam Brennan, along with Newcastle United’s Alex Murphy, all have a chance to make their debuts off the bench. The lack of available midfielders indicates former under-21 skipper Joe Hodge could win his first cap from kick-off. IRELAND (Possible): Kelleher (Brentford); Coleman (Everton), O’Brien (Everton), Collins (Brentford), O’Shea (Ipswich Town), Scales (Celtic); Molumby (West Bromwich Albion), Hodge (Tondela); Moylan (Lincoln City), Ogbene (Ipswich Town); Parrott (AZ Alkmaar).