Almost two years after he was sent home by Mick McCarthy during the build-up to Ireland's first World Cup qualifying game of the last campaign, against Holland, Phil Babb was on the verge of a dramatic return to international football last night.

With seven of his 25-strong squad for the friendly against Finland on Wednesday night calling in sick over the weekend McCarthy was yesterday attempting to get in touch with the 31-year-old centre back who made his competitive debut for Sunderland on Saturday.

The former Liverpool and Sporting Lisbon defender has had a good pre-season with his new English club but McCarthy's move was more the result of the loss through injury of both Richard Dunne and Andy O'Brien, both of whom were, due to back and shin problems respectively, among yesterday's withdrawals from the squad.

The other players to pull out of the trip were Steve Carr (hamstring), Clinton Morrison (groin), Steven Reid (ankle), Richard Sadlier (hip) and Steve Finnan (ankle). Carr, Reid and Sadlier are also either out of or rated as doubtful for the European Championship qualifying game in Moscow on September 7th.

McCarthy said yesterday he would have called John O'Shea into the senior squad had he still been in the under-21 panel. But after Don Givens had agreed to a request from Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson to allow the player to remain at his club he did not, he said, wish to interfere.

That brought him to Babb, who has not played an international game since he earned his 34th cap against South Africa in the United States in June 2000. Two months later the player was included in the squad for the trip to Amsterdam but he was then expelled following the drunken night out that led to his detention, along with Mark Kennedy, for damaging a car belonging to a Garda.

Yesterday McCarthy said he had spoken to Jason McAteer and Niall Quinn about their new team-mate's form since returning to England. "I know he's been doing well," he said. "I've rung Sunderland to see what the story is."

When he signed for Peter Reid's side back in May Babb made it clear that he was keen to resurrect his international career, remarking that "the door's not closed (on Ireland) and this is a good opportunity to get back in Mick's squad. If I play well you never know but I would never call it a day."

It is now likely then, that Babb will either join up with the Ireland squad this morning in Dublin or make his own way to Helsinki as both Shay Given and Gary Breen are due to arrive after this evening's game between Newcastle United and West Ham.

The injury picked up by Carr on Saturday has delayed his comeback until after the Russia game.

"It's hard on the player because he's waited a year to get back," said Spurs manager Glenn Hoddle after Saturday's game against Everton. "But the hamstring looks bad and it's going to take a while to get him right."

It was later estimated that Carr would be out of competitive action for between four and six weeks.