Soccer: After a spate of recent injury concerns Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr received some good news over the weekend, with Robbie Keane making his comeback for Tottenham in their defeat by Southampton at White Hart Lane on Saturday and Gary Breen confirming that he expects to be fit for next month's Euro 2004 qualifier against Switzerland.

Breen's groin strain, picked up in Sunderland's game at Stoke City last Tuesday, was widely reported to have ruled him out of the trip to Switzerland, but the player eased Kerr's concerns by telling him that he expects to be back in club action within a fortnight.

"I spoke to Gary after the Stoke game, which I was at, and he told me he didn't feel the injury was serious," said Kerr yesterday.

"He expects to be back in two weeks, which is what Sunderland have told me too."

Keane, meanwhile, made an earlier-than-expected return for Spurs, a month after suffering an ankle ligament injury against Australia at Lansdowne Road, coming on as a half-time substitute on Saturday in what much of yesterday's English press predicted will be Glenn Hoddle's final game in charge at the club.

Andy O'Brien, a possible replacement for Breen should he miss the trip to Basle, was ruled out of Newcastle's scoreless draw with Bolton on Saturday with a hamstring strain but Lee Carsley made his first appearance of the season for Everton, playing in the second half of their defeat by Middlesbrough yesterday.

Meanwhile, speculation has increased that Sven-Goran Eriksson will be Chelsea's new manager. The England boss is reported to be interested in swopping his job with the English FA for one with Roman Abramovich, Chelsea's multi-billionaire new owner. But only after leading England's bid for glory in next year's European Championship in Portugal.

The only doubt appears to be the timing of the move as Eriksson has made it clear that he has no intention of walking out on England and being branded a traitor before taking on the cream of Europe next summer.

Eriksson, who was spotted going into Abramovich's house, is good friends with Pini Zahavi, the Israeli agent who has helped mastermind Chelsea's amazing summer spending spree, allegedly buying some players that Eriksson recommended.

However, Athole Still, the Swede's personal manager, has described the speculation as "a load of rubbish" and insisted that Eriksson is "totally committed to England and the European Championships".

However, it seems odds-on that Eriksson will end his England association after next summer.