Dara O'Shea says the Republic of Ireland squad will wait until after Thursday's Kosovo game before discussing Sunday's contentious fixture against Israel. The Republic of Ireland face Kosovo in Pristina on Thursday (19:45 BST) before travelling to Debrecen in Hungary for the first of two Israel games.

There have been calls for a boycott, with a protest at the team hotel in Dublin on Monday and an open letter from the Irish Sport for Palestine Group, signed by over 160 sportspeople, urging the FAI to withdraw.

O'Shea said it is important to "speak openly" and "respect each other's views" when they discuss the Israel game on Friday. He added players have been aware of the "noise" but tried to avoid it. "We've all tried to stay off social media as much as possible and stay together," said the Ipswich defender, who will captain in the absence of the injured Nathan Collins.

O'Shea admitted it was a "difficult" and "unusual" situation. The squad will also face Israel in Backa Topola, Serbia, on 4 October. He said the decision was made by the FAI, Uefa and the Government, not the players.