Soccer:A knee injury has ruled Kevin Doyle out of Tuesday's Euro 2012 qualifier against Slovakia in Zilina. The Wolverhampton Wanderers striker has returned to his club for treatment, forcing Giovanni Trapattoni to rethink his approach to the crucial game in the wake of a 3-2 defeat to Russia on Friday.
Richard Dunne and Liam Lawrence (wrist) are also carrying knocks but the management is confident both will be available, though that was the line on Doyle as recently as yesterday.
Doyle is vital to Trapattoni's preferred gameplan, an essential targetman in the manager’s system, which he forcefully defended in the aftermath of the loss to Russia at the Aviva Stadium.
Doyle was substituted in the 70th minute of the game after sustaining the injury and showing his frustration with a petulant hack on Vasili Berezutski that earned him a yellow card. It was, however, thought the knock was minor and unlikely to keep him out of the trip to Slovakia, where he has scored for Ireland before in 2007.
Now, Trapattoni must decide who to draft in to the team to replace the striker. There has been no suggestion he will add to the 21-man squad, meaning Ipswich's Jon Walters, CSKA Sofia's Cillian Sheridan or Celtic's Anthony Stokes need not wait by their phones.
He could opt for one up front and five in midfield but yesterday he dismissed that option, citing the lack of players at his disposal for such a formation.
More likely, would be the deployment of Shane Long beside Robbie Keane after the Reading striker scored Ireland’s second against Russia, having replaced Lawrence on the right side of midfield. Andy Keogh is also an an option but Long's impressive overall performance would look to have him in pole position.
“It is a problem because Doyle is an important player for us but we have young players like Shane Long and Andy Keogh,” said Trapattoni’s assistant Marco Tardelli this morning. “It is possible that the manager will decide to pick a young player like them. They are good players, without experience, maybe, but they are good players.
“You saw Long play well against Russia and he scored a goal.”
Long has made 13 appearances since 2007, but each one, bar his debut against San Marino in February that year, has been from the bench.
Tardelli launched a passionate defence of the side and the management when pressed on the matter this morning, pointing out that the defeat to Russia was "the first match we lost during the campaign", which is just three games old.
"In the last campaign we lost to France because of a handball but it’s normal sometimes to lose a match and the Russians are a good team."
Yesterday, Trapattoni also defended the tactics and denied he instructs his side not to build attacks. "We wanted the ball in the last third of their park and then to compete for it there," he said. "But I don't forbid them to play. When they have the ball, I want them to pass."
Midfielder Glenn Whelan today described the performance as a "one-off" but then appeared to contradict himself and his manager.
"It wasn't the game plan but, when you're 2-0 down, it's panic stations a little bit," he said of the performance against Russia. "But it's a one-off, we can't let that happen again.
"It's what the manager sets out and his tactics. Everyone would like to see better football and try and get more passing around the pitch but, if it's not to be and the manager wants something different, then what can you do?"
Group B looks set to be one of the most competitive in qualifying, with Ireland, Slovakia and Russia all on six points after three games. Trapattoni's men are looking to make a major finals for the first time in a decade, and Whelan believes they can use Friday's disappointment to spur them on against their other big rival.
"It's a kick up the backside," he said. "I can't remember the last time we got beaten in a qualifying game. It's not nice and we don't want that to happen again. We have to give a good performance and get rid of Friday night."
Meanwhile, Ipswich goalkeeper Brian Murphy has been called into the squad this evening, after Keiren Westwood suffered a facial injury in training today.
Additionial reporting by PA
