In a developing story from the Republic of Ireland camp, Newcastle United's promising midfielder Rory Finneran has been handed his first senior call-up for the upcoming friendly against Grenada. The 18-year-old talent joins Heimir Hallgrimsson's squad currently training in Murcia, Spain, ahead of Saturday's clash at the Estadio Nueva Condomina (17:00 BST).

Finneran's rise continues to impress, having made the switch from Blackburn Rovers to Newcastle in 2024. Already capped at under-17 and under-19 levels for the Boys in Green, this call-up marks a significant step in his young career. The teenager steps in following injury withdrawals from Cardiff City defender Joel Bagan and Ipswich Town winger Kasey McAteer.

However, the squad news isn't all positive. Benfica attacker Jaden Umeh, who had earned his first senior call-up, has been withdrawn by his club. Since this friendly falls outside FIFA's official international window, clubs are under no obligation to release players. Benfica's under-19s face a crucial match against Famalicao on Saturday, with Umeh's two-goal display in a 6-2 win over UD Leiria last weekend making him too valuable to lose for their UEFA Youth League qualification push.

Hallgrimsson acknowledged the situation with understanding: "Benfica are still fighting in their U19s to be in the UEFA Youth League. The plan was for them to have secured that by now, but unfortunately, results this weekend didn't go their way, so Jaden still has one more game to play. We knew beforehand that this was a possibility, even if it was unlikely. It is unlucky for him that the results went that way, as we were looking forward to working with him, but we understand the club's position and will have to wait for a future window to bring him into the environment."