SOCCER
The Republic of Ireland will look to take another step towards Euro 2020 qualification tonight.
The biggest night in Stephen Kenny's managerial career has taken him to Bratislava to face Slovakia in a playoff semi-final.
The hosts have been shorn of a number of first-choice players.
Goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, defender Milan Skriniar and midfielder Stanislav Lobotka are all missing.
Shamrock Rovers midfielder Jack Byrne has been included in the 23-man matchday squad for the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2020 play-off semi-final against Slovakia tonight.
Burnley's Kevin Long and Josh Cullen of Anderlecht are the two players to miss out.
Irish defender Matt Doherty says it's a night for calm heads
Kick off is at 7.45 this evening.
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The winners of tonight's game will face either Northern Ireland or Bosnia Herzegovina next month - those two meet in Sarajevo
Scotland host Israel - All of those games kick off is 7.45
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Cork City have parted company with manager Neale Fenn with the club on the verge of relegation from the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division.
Cork bottom of the league with just five games to play
Cork take on Bohemians on Friday evening and Colin Healy.
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Up to 11-thousand fans will be allowed to watch Belgium's friendly with the Ivory Coast in Brussels this evening.
That's despite the city having the second highest coronavirus infection rate in Europe, after Madrid.
Cafes, bars and event halls are all being made to close there from tomorrow due to a spike in Covid-19 cases.
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RUGBY
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has included six uncapped players in his squad for the final two Six Nations games against Italy and France later this month.
There's no place for the injured Tadhg Furlong in the 35-man squad, while Ulster scrum half John Cooney misses out.
Ryan Baird, Ed Byrne, Will Connors, Shane Daly, Hugo Keenan and Jamison Gibson Park have all been called up for the first time.
Ireland face Italy at the Aviva Stadium on the 24th of October before taking on France in Paris seven days later.
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TENNIS
It's women's semi-finals day at the French Open.
First up, Polish teenager Iga Swiatek (pr: Ee-gha Shvee-on-tek) faces Argentine qualifier Nadia Podoroska.
That's followed by the meeting of fourth seed Sofia Kenin and seventh seed Petra Kvitova.
None of today's combatants have ever reached the final at Roland Garros.
Novak Djokovic progressed to the men's semi-finals last night, beating Pablo Carreno Busta in 4-sets.
The top seed will play Stefanos Tsitsipas tomorrow following Rafa Nadals semifinal against Argentine Scwartzman which gets underway at 10 to 2.
GOLF
Padraig Harrington's in the clubhouse on level par on day one of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Graeme McDowell's 2 over after 16 and Shane Lowry is playing the first hole.
Tyrrell Hatton leads by a stroke on 6 under par.
RACING
At Thurles the going is now described as soft.
A 7-race Flat card is set to commence at 2.15.
