ALEX FERGUSON, the Manchester United manager, had contrasting news for Mick McCarthy when the Ireland manager checked yesterday on the fitness of Roy Keane and Dennis Irwin for next Wednesday's World Cup game against Liechtenstein.
While Keane continues to make a good recovery from an ankle injury, Irwin has been forced to withdraw with a recurrence of the groin problem which has troubled him at regular intervals in recent months.
This, in fact will be the second game he has missed this year. but unlike the friendly fixture against Wales at Cardiff in January, the stakes will be high next week when anything other than a decisive win would be regarded as a setback to Ireland's qualification hopes.
Acknowledging Irwin's contribution to the team, Mick McCarthy said: "He's had a great influence on the younger players around him and at a time when we are attempting to be more flexible in our game plan, his ability to slot into two or three different roles is important".
Yet, the signs are that the Manchester United player's withdrawal may well have spared McCarthy a difficult choice following Jeff Kenna's impressive contribution to the second half of the game against Romania at Bucharest last month.
On the evidence of that performance, the manager would have been hard pressed for an explanation had he decided to put Kenna back on the bench for the start of next Wednesday's game.
McCarthy believes that there are sufficient options available to him in defence to obviate the necessity of calling up a replacement. However, depending on how Curtis Fleming makes out with Middlesbrough in their FA Cup final date with Chelsea, that situation could change over the weekend.
Meanwhile. the news of Keane's continued progress from the injury he sustained last Thursday is reassuring for McCarthy, who will be looking to the Corkman to anchor his midfield formation.
It is, perhaps. a measure of Liechtenstein's priorities that Harry Zach, one of the more experienced members of their squad, has withdrawn from their travelling party of 22, to undertake a schools' coaching assignment.
After three meetings of the countries in the last three years, their squad may now be familiar to Irish supporters and includes Martin Heeb, whose flamboyant goalkeeping did so much damage to Jack Charlton's hopes of leading his team to the final of the 996 European championship.
Richard Dunne, the young Everton defender who was named in the senior squad for the World Cup assignment in Romania, is, among the 18 players named yesterday for the return leg of the European Under-15 championship tie against Norway at Tolka Park next Tuesday evening.
Also included is Alan Maybury. the highly-rated Leeds United player, who has already been honoured at Under-21 level Squad.
