Given rested at Ireland training

Soccer: Shay Given sat out the latter part of training at Gannon Park in Malahide this morning as the Republic of Ireland prepare…

Soccer:Shay Given sat out the latter part of training at Gannon Park in Malahide this morning as the Republic of Ireland prepare to face Andorra. But Marco Tardelli later confirmed that was simply to give him a rest and there are no new injury concerns for the Irish management team.

Defenders Paul McShane and Darren O’Dea, who were struggling with hamstring and knee injuries respectively last week, also took part in the session. Ireland head into the game having returned from their opening Group B fixture in Armenia on Friday evening with a 1-0 victory.

Robbie Keane is fit for Tuesday’s match at the Aviva Stadium but Damien Duff will not be making an appearance against the Group B minnows.

Duff was ruled out of the win over Armenia, but Giovanni Trapattoni was hopeful he would be in contention for a place on Tuesday after receiving treatment on a calf strain with Fulham.

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Midfielder Keith Andrews had already been ruled out of both games with a groin strain.

Keane suffered no reaction to his knee injury in Armenia. The 30-year-old striker, who has been struggling with the problem, was substituted shortly after Keith Fahey's winning goal at the Republican Stadium.