O'Neill aiming for win in Austria

Martin O'Neill has confirmed his Republic of Ireland team will be looking for victory in their crunch World Cup qualifier in Austria despite being hit by injuries.

Two wins and a draw from their opening three fixtures represents a good start to the campaign by the Boys in Green and three points in Vienna against one of their rivals to qualify for Russia 2018 would be a huge boost.

Their opponents lost last time out against Serbia and another loss would possibly knock them out of the running, leaving Ireland, Wales and the Serbs to battle it out for the top two spots.

However, it will be a tough ask of the team considering they are missing first choice striker Jonathan Walters, main back-up Daryl Murphy - who finally broke his international duck in the 2-2 in Belgrade - and with record goalscorer Robbie Keane now retired.

Although Jonathan Walters is set to lead the line, his reserve options of David McGoldrick, Adam Rooney and Kevin Doyle have little, if any, recent form between them on the international stage but despite this O'Neill is bullish about his side's prospects.

“I don’t actually know how you play for a draw,” he said. “I don’t know how a manager can plan for one. Our attitude is to go out on the front foot, try and be positive and try and go for it."

O'Neill has to plan without James McCarthy who absence with injury has escalated the war of words between the manager and assistant Roy Keane on one side and Everton boss Ronald Koeman on the other.

Asked whether he planned to call Koeman to discuss the situation, O'Neill replied: "He would join my to-call list, but I should first put a call into Donald Trump to congratulate him. And then give my commiserations to Hillary Clinton. Then somewhere down the line, Koeman, yes. There is also the possibility that someone might call me, no?"

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