The viability of Group Eight of the European Championship preliminaries was again in question yesterday after the European Union tightened its sanctions against Yugoslavia.

Because of pressure from Italy and Greece, the EU refused to add sporting exclusion to the range of bans being imposed on Belgrade in the developing Kosovo crisis.

Hans van den Broek, the EU's External Relations Commissioner, confirmed however they were recommending that EU sporting authorities should "keep Yugoslavia out".

The immediate effect was to heighten the doubts surrounding the Yugoslavs' scheduled visit to Dublin on June 5th and, in the longer term, put their participation in the championship at still more risk.

UEFA, who have undertaken to deliver a decision on the Lansdowne Road fixture by May 11th, when a task force is due to complete its examination of the totality of the Group Eight fixtures problem, expelled Yugoslavia from the European finals in Sweden in 1992.

On that occasion, they were acting on foot of an United Nations embargo on the country, but yesterday's statement by the 15 EU foreign ministers falls some way short of that magnitude. In the circumstances FAI officials have decided to await UEFA's reaction before responding to this latest development. "The ball is now in UEFA's court - it is up to them to decide the next move," said a spokesman.

Meanwhile, there were more problems for Mick McCarthy yesterday when his depleted squad assembled for tomorrow's friendly against Group Five leaders Sweden at Lansdowne Road.

Both Roy Keane and Denis Irwin have been pulled out by Manchester United. With Ian Harte of Leeds United already out, McCarthy must replace at least three of his planned starting line up.

Not unreasonably, perhaps, Alex Ferguson is unwilling to risk players with the slightest fitness problems at this critical stage of United's season and to his withdrawals from the England squad he has now added the names of Keane and Irwin, the first for a hamstring strain, the second for a calf muscle injury. All of which points up the doubtful wisdom of arranging non-competitive international fixtures for April, a question McCarthy skirted at yesterday's press briefing with as much diplomacy as he could find. Indeed the marvel is that so much of the selected squad turned up for training at Clonshaugh as requested, testimony to the strong bonding in the squad and, in some instances, the ambition of those seeking to nail down regular first-team places.

"Of course I'm disappointed. I intended to play both Roy and Denis on Wednesday," McCarthy said. "But I have to say it doesn't really surprise me. After all the games they've played in recent weeks, they are bound to be feeling the strain."

Nor do the manager's difficulties end there. Both goalkeepers in the squad, Shay Given and Alan Kelly, are nursing knocks while Jason McAteer, Lee Carsley and Mark Kinsella are recuperating from problems of varying severity. All five are expected to be cleared today, however, when Steve Staunton will be confirmed as team captain in Roy Keane's absence.

Not surprisingly, Sweden have also lost three of their British-based players, Magnus Hedman (Coventry), Fredrik Lungberg (Arsenal) and Johan Mjallby (Celtic). Reassuringly for manager Tommy Soderberg, however, Henrik Larsson is available and that may present Celtic's Irish following with a crisis of loyalty.

Confirming that he was delighted to be staying with Celtic, Larsson said: "There was never any question of my leaving the club - only a matter of when they would make me the right offer.

"It's good for Sweden to play this game in Dublin for it will be very useful for most of the squad in our preparations for the big game with England in June."

Meanwhile, facing into Northern Ireland's friendly against Canada tonight, Lawrie McMenemy has turned to Norwich reserve striker Adrian Coote to solve his team's goalscoring problems.

Coote will make his senior debut at Windsor Park and Northern Ireland manager McMenemy hopes he can boost their flagging firepower.

Northern Ireland's Euro 2000 qualifying campaign has already fizzled out because they have only managed to score three times in five games.

McMenemy is desperate to find a new striker to replace the ageing Iain Dowie and he feels the under-21 striker could be the answer.

"The big search is for forwards and we all know we need goals, " he said. "Iain Dowie is not going to go on forever and I want to see how people like Adrian Coote react to playing on the bigger stage."

Coote, who was born in Britain but whose mother is from Belfast, has netted three goals in eight under21 appearances.

Northern Ireland (possible): Taylor; Hughes/Patterson, Horlock, Hunter, Williams; Lomas, Mulryne, McCarthy, Rowland/Sonner; Coote, Dowie.