Darren Clarke is set to get a wild card to play in next month's Ryder Cup, acoording to reports over the weekend.

Sandy Lyle, who will be one of European captain Ian Woosnam's assistants, also believes the Welshman will pick Clarke, whose wife Heather died from cancer eight days ago.

He said: "I am surprised about all the speculation regarding whether or not he will be involved. Of course he will. Heather's death is a tragedy but it wasn't sudden and I'm sure Darren will want to get back into the routine.

"He has already indicated he wants to play in Madrid before the Ryder Cup and I am sure he will want to play in front of an Irish gallery at the K Club.

"Darren is very important to the team. For a start he is one of our very best players and has a great record in the event.

"He has a big personality whose competitive streak and ability to motivate his team-mates raises morale. You can't overstate the importance of such qualities when you're heading into a tournament which is effectively a trial of character."

It is understood Woosnam has said to Clarke he will select him if he feels up to playing. The only stipulation is that he wants to compete in the Madrid Open beforehand.

Woosnam will name his two wild cards at the conclusion of the final qualifying event, the BMW International Open in Munich, on September 3rd.

Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley currently hold two automatic spots on Woosnam's team.