SOCCER:There might have been some puzzlement last week when Steve Staunton named four goalkeepers in his squad for the upcoming Euro 2008 qualifying games away to Slovakia and the Czech Republic, but the Republic of Ireland manager's caution proved to be prudent over the weekend when he lost one of the quartet through injury, with two more confined to the bench for their clubs, the fourth not even making it that far.

Wayne Henderson, perhaps top of the list of candidates to replace Shay Given in Bratislava and Prague, should the Newcastle goalkeeper prove unfit, missed Preston's game at Coventry on Saturday, by then en route to see a specialist in London after suffering a slipped disc. He was, last night, withdrawn from the Irish squad.

Given, who made his first appearance of the season in Newcastle's League Cup win over Barnsley last Wednesday, was left on the bench by Sam Allardyce for Saturday's game against Wigan, but the indications were that the manager had simply preferred Steve Harper.

Having started the season in goal for Birmingham City, Colin Doyle didn't even make the bench at Middlesbrough on Saturday, with Maik Taylor starting and Ghana's Richard Kingson chosen as his back-up. Nick Colgan, meanwhile, remains on the bench for Barnsley, having lost his place to Heinz Muller.

Hibernian's Alan O'Brien was the only other player to withdraw from the squad yesterday, the winger ruled out with an ankle injury, while an update is awaited on Paul McShane's fitness after Sunderland manager Roy Keane said he "has an injury" after he played the full 90 minutes, at right back, against Manchester United on Saturday. Confirmation is awaited, too, on midfielder Darren Potter who missed Wolves' game at Stoke with a groin injury.

Just 10 of Staunton's 25-man squad played full games for their clubs over the weekend, 15 of them in the starting line-ups. Kevin Kilbane and Richard Dunne were both sent off, for Wigan and Manchester City respectively, while Robbie Keane (Spurs), Lee Carsley (Everton) and Stephen Ireland (Manchester City) were all substituted.

Shane Long missed Reading's home defeat to West Ham with a broken thumb.