Ryder Cup 2018: Europe and USA confirm Friday afternoon pairings

Rory McIlroy has been handed a Ryder Cup stay of execution and will line up for the afternoon foursomes with Ian Poulter

Rory McIlroy has been handed a Ryder Cup stay of execution and will line up for the afternoon foursomes with Ian Poulter.

The Northern Irishman was well and truly off his game as he and Thorbjorn Olesen lost their opening fourball to Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson to give USA the early advantage at Le Golf National.

But while many would have expected captain Thomas Bjorn to sit McIlroy for the afternoon session he has instead given him a vote of confidence by sending him out alongside Poulter.

There will also be no Tiger Woods in the afternoon action, who looked stiff this morning playing alongside Patrick Reed.

Elsewhere Henrik Stenson will get his first taste of action alongside Justin Rose. They play Johnson and Fowler who already claimed one European scalp on Friday in dominant fashion.

Sergio Garcia and Alex Noren will also make their bows against Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, both of whom didn't play the fourballs either.

McIlroy struggled in the fourballs (PA)

The afternoon will be rounded out by Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, who impressed in the morning session, who will play Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood after they showed well winning Europe's solitary point against Woods and Reed earlier in the day.

Friday afternoon foursomes:

Stenson/Rose v Johnson/Fowler
McIlroy/Poulter v Watson/Simpson
Garcia/Noren v Mickelson/DeChambeau
Molinari/Fleetwood v Thomas/Spieth​​