ROY KEANE is expected to have recovered in time from an ankle injury to play in the Republic of Ireland's World Cup against Liechtenstein at Lansdowne Road on May 19th.

Keane reported for treatment at Old Trafford yesterday after being injured within minutes of the start of their Premiership meeting with Newcastle United on Thursday.

A club spokesman said that the full extent of the damage hasn't yet been ascertained, but it was "unlikely" that it would keep him out of the World Cup game.

Mick McCarthy, who named his squad of 22 yesterday morning, said that he had not been contacted by Manchester United about the extent of Keane's injury, but he is optimistic that the midfielder will, in fact, be cleared to play.

Apart from the suspended Jason McAteer and of favour midway through the season to a lesser extent, the injured Keith O'Neill, all McCarthy's established players are available for the Liechtenstein game and to that extent, his selection was highly predictable.

Recalled are Alan McLoughlin, who was serving a suspension for the game against Romania, Curtis Fleming, Gareth Farrelly and, significantly, Niall Quinn who hasn't appeared in the national team since scoring twice in the 5-0 win in Liechtenstein, back in the opening weeks of the season.

The Irish manager plans to watch Quinn in action for Sunderland in their crucial game against Wimbledon tomorrow but reassured by reports he received on the player's fitness earlier in the week, he has put him in the squad.

His recall is timely when set against doubts about the fitness of Tony Cascarino, who looked less than sharp before being substituted in Macedonia and was subsequently left out of the starting lineup in Romania.

Fleming, enjoying an eventful season, is expected to be in Middlesbrough's team to play Chelsea in the FA Cup final next Saturday and could be compromised if a replay is needed to determine the winners of the trophy.

Farrelly, viewed as the likely long term replacement for Andy Townsend, impressed in the under 21 game in Romania and is given the chance of rejoining the squad after dropping out Richard Dunne, Alan Moore and Keith O'Neill, all selected for the Romanian game are missing from the squad this time. Moore is not due to restart full training until tomorrow and while there is a possibility that he will be added to the squad later, McCarthy said it was a remote one.

O'Neill is still recovering from an ankle problem and explaining Dunne's absence, McCarthy said that the primary purpose in bringing him to Romania was to enable him to get to know members of the squad.

Asked about his own situation and the fact that a proposal to have his term of office extended for another two years is due to be tabled at a meeting of the FAI's hierarchy next Friday, McCarthy was suitably diplomatic.

I think that question should, more properly, be directed at other people, but I am grateful for the support I've had from the FAI he said.