Martin O'Neill to turn to Aiden McGeady as he looks for match winner against Georgia

Martin O’Neill knows his Republic of Ireland team will never lack for effort and he always believes he can make them hard to beat, but it is match winners he lacks ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Georgia.

O’Neill has already lost his best player and captain, Seamus Coleman, to injury and is still trying to find a player who can consistently unlock international defences.

As a result, knowing a win on Saturday night would put Ireland in a strong position to secure at least a play-off place as they look to reach their first World Cup since 2002, he will once again turn to one of his old favourites, Aiden McGeady.

The 31-year-old, who played for O’Neill at Celtic, moved from Everton to Sunderland in the summer and the fact he has played regularly on Wearside so far this season means he is in line to start in Tiblisi.

McGeady scored a magnificent, winning goal in the same stadium three years ago to launch Ireland’s European Championship campaign and O’Neill feels he may well need something special from the winger again this weekend.

"Aiden, he's in pretty good form and decent shape,” said O’Neill. “I remember that distinctly when he came here [in 2014], he was as fit as I'd seen him in quite some time, and he relished it and he scored a fantastic late goal to win the game for us.

"I think this will be a reminder, the game will be in his mind. Whether he starts or not, he's in good form. His wife just had a baby too so things are good for him in his own personal life and on field Sunderland are pretty happy with him.

"His manager, Simon Grayson, believes in him and I never lost faith in him in that sense. He's a great talent and it may take something like that for us tomorrow night.

"Aiden is coming into the game with confidence about himself and a confident Aiden is always a decent sign. It's not over-confidence, hopefully, it's not cockiness, but I think he feels fit, which is the most important thing."

Ireland have won all of their eight games against Georgia, but O’Neill is never complacent and is all too aware of the fact Scotland lost to them 18 months ago, a defeat that cost them a place in the European Championships.

A win on Saturday means Ireland could even top the group if they beat Serbia in Dublin on Tuesday night.