Ireland v Israel live updates: Controversial match set to go ahead

Gavin Cummiskey has sent the following update from the ground in Debrecen, regarding Gavin Bazunu’s availability for next week’s game against Austria...Gavin Bazunu is available for selection when the Republic of Ireland play Austria at the Aviva Stadium next Thursday. The Bolton Wanderers goalkeeper announced on Saturday that he feels it would be wrong to participate in the upcoming fixtures against Israel, at the Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen tonight or the behind-closed-doors match in the Serbian town of Bačka Topola on October 4th. “My decision is based purely upon my personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong,” the 24 year old posted on Instagram. QPR defender Jimmy Dunne has been temporarily named as an Ireland goalkeeper behind Caoimhín Kelleher and Max O’Leary. The Nations League rules state that match day squads must have three goalies. When the FAI communications department was asked to confirm if Heimir Hallgrímsson will consider Bazunu for the Austria game, it was indicated that the Ireland manager would address the player’s availability following tonight’s game. Hallgrímsson said yesterday that he did not talk to Bazunu about the Israel ties before naming him in the 26-man squad last week and the Irish Times understands that nobody from the FAI or team management mentioned the issue to the Dubliner. Yesterday was a day of high tension in Debrecen, beginning with Bazunu’s decision to pull out of the tie early in the morning. There followed hours of confusion and rancour and, for the journalists on the ground, a day-long search for clarity. Gavin Cooney’s account of an ill-starred 24 hours for the national team, the FAI and everyone involved with the whole sorry saga is worth your time.Here’s where we are. The situation has remained largely unchanged since last night, the only concrete development today being the naming this morning of QPR defender Jimmy Dunne as Ireland’s third goalkeeper for the game. This is purely a piece of admin – Uefa matchday statutes decree that all international teams name three goalkeepers in their matchday squad. And so with Gavin Bazunu refusing to play, Dunne will be the nominal back-up to Max O’Leary, who is the back-up to Caoimhín Kelleher. Dunne for Bazunu is the only change in the 23 from the Kosovo game.After what must rank as the most dramatic day in Irish football since Saipan, tonight’s Nations League game between Ireland and Israel looks set to go ahead. Kick-off is set for Debrecen, Hungary at 7.45pm Irish time. We will keep you updated with any and all developments over the next few hours and during the game itself.