SOCCER/News Round-up: There was mixed news for Mick McCarthy yesterday as he prepares to name his squad for the coming European Championships qualifier against Switzerland at Lansdowne Road, with Fulham all but ruling Steve Finnan out of the match but Millwall suggesting that Steven Reid may be available.
A spokesman for Finnan's club said the right back had suffered a recurrence of the knee injury that kept him out for three games before he returned to the first team against Everton on Saturday.
The problem is with his medial ligaments and Finnan will rest for the next two games in the hope of being available for the match against Manchester United, scheduled for the Saturday after the visit of the Swiss to Dublin. In the circumstances it is highly unlikely he could be considered for a place in McCarthy's squad, which is due to be named early next week.
His absence, combined with that of Tottenham's Steve Carr, could mean a recall for Birmingham City's Jeff Kenna who has not played for Ireland since the second of the European Championships play-off games against Turkey in Bursa in late 1999. Given the lack of cover for Gary Kelly, however, the 32-year-old Dubliner looks to be McCarthy's most obvious alternative after having established himself as a regular at Birmingham City following a long spell without first team football at Blackburn Rovers.
Reid, meanwhile, is due to get back into training this week after a long lay off caused by an ankle ligament injury. Millwall manager Mark McGhee said yesterday: "Reidy starts training this week and hopefully will be available a week later."
That schedule gives the midfielder some chance of making McCarthy's panel of 22, even if he is still unlikely to be involved in the game so soon after returning from an injury that has prevented him from playing at all so far this season.
McGhee, though, has also described Richard Sadlier's hip injury as "problematic" and said that it was impossible to estimate when the striker might be fit to return to training.
Cork City, meanwhile, have signed 20-year-old central defender Daniel Murray from Peterborough on a month's loan. The Irishman was recommended to Liam Murphy by City's leading scorer, John O'Flynn, and spent last week on trial with the club.
The FA is still confused about FIFA's directives on red cards and video replays.
The world body announced last week that players are automatically suspended from the next game should they be sent off and there can be no exceptions, even when a referee changes his mind after consulting video evidence.
But the FA has yet to decide how to respond or how soon it could reorganise the disciplinary system.
"Changing the system at this stage of the season is far from ideal," said an FA spokesman, Andrin Cooper. "We have not yet received a circular from FIFA and this is not something we could implement suddenly - though it's a matter we have to address with some urgency."
Everton intend to ban the seven supporters who ran on to the pitch at the Racecourse Ground on Tuesday night during the 3-0 English League Cup victory over Wrexham.
Police arrested seven young visiting fans and two home supporters and charged them with public order and criminal offences after minor scuffles broke out on the Kop following Everton's second goal.
