Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy will step up his interest in Dundalk pair Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle by attending tonight's Europa League showdown with AZ Alkmaar.

But the League of Ireland champions have turned away applications from scouts representing more than 20 overseas clubs because of the high demand for tickets.

The capacity in Tallaght is restricted at 5,700 and the game was announced as a sell-out last Friday - although Dundalk were able to release a small number of tickets yesterday to fans who missed out the initial sale.

They were unwilling to leave aside freebies for the high volume of scouts from clubs interested in taking a look at Stephen Kenny's players as they look to take giant step towards qualification for the knockout stages.

McCarthy will be present for a game that Alkmaar need to win to stay alive in the group. The former Ireland boss has already said he is keen on Horgan and is believed to be tracking Boyle too with the call-up into Martin O'Neill's squad for the World Cup qualifying win over Austria boosting the defender's profile. Newcastle are the front runners to nab Horgan, but Sunderland are also keen on the 24-year-old, who was on the bench for Ireland's big win in Vienna.

O'Neill and Roy Keane are in Dublin today for the launch of Ireland's Euro 2020 logo.

Their ears will have pricked up at the news that Gareth Bale has suffered a 'traumatic' dislocation of tendons in his ankle that could rule the Real Madrid star out until 2017.

However, the worst case scenario reports indicate the Welshman will be back well in advance of the March 24 date at the Aviva.

Irish Independent