Steve Staunton yesterday recalled a predictable list of regulars for this month's Euro 2008 qualifiers against Germany and Cyprus at Croke Park, but there was no place in his 25-strong squad for either Andy O'Brien or Liam Miller.

Despite having just two natural centre backs in the panel, one of whom will be suspended for Saturday week's game against the Group D leaders, Staunton has decided against restoring O'Brien to the panel, a year after he was dropped in the wake of Ireland's humiliating defeat in Cyprus.

When asked over the course of last season about the repeated omission of the 28-year-old defender, Staunton said his fitness was an issue because of his relegation to Portsmouth's reserves. However, it seems that a move to Bolton, where he has featured regularly over the past few weeks, has not been enough to rejuvenate O'Brien's international career.

Staunton said he saw O'Brien play against Derby on Saturday when the defender played the full 90 minutes.

He was, he remarked, impressed by the player's performance but feels that John O'Shea and Richard Dunne will start against the Germans while Paul McShane will be back from suspension for the visit of Cyprus and that it was not therefore worthwhile displacing another to make room for him.

O'Brien, he said, has been placed on standby for the game although the manager then admitted his only contact had been with the player's club and that he had not personally talked to O'Brien at Saturday's game.

Pressed about who would take over should either O'Shea or Dunne need to be replaced against Germany he said: "We'll see what bench we have. We have plenty of defenders, lads who can play at centre back." Asked whom he was referring to in particular, he remarked: "Joey O'Brien has played there before . . . at under age level."

Miller's exclusion may not be as inherently risky as O'Brien's, but the Cork man might also be disappointed not to be called up after what has been a good run of form for Sunderland and it is somewhat surprising that Alan O'Brien has again been included at a time when he is, partly because of injury, still trying to establish himself as a regular at Hibernian.

Any lingering suspicions Stephen Ireland might suffer for the difficulties he caused last month were dispelled by his inclusion. "It's history now, just one of those things," said Staunton. "It's unfortunate, but as he's shown at the weekend, Stephen's back to his best. We know Manchester City are helping him out on a daily basis and whatever we can do to help, we will do it."

Like McShane, Stephen Hunt will miss the first game due to suspension, but Staunton is not at this point short of options in the wide midfield positions. He is particularly well served at right back, however, with all seven defenders having played there at some stage of their senior careers. Most have played at left back too at one point or another although not one is actually a natural left-footed player.

Steve Carr is something of a doubt for the games due to a hamstring problem but Staunton says the Dubliner is hoping to get a game at the weekend. "If that doesn't happen, we'll have to monitor the situation."

Darron Gibson misses out due to the toe broken in a Manchester United reserve team game in Portugal but may yet, depending on the circumstances, be called in for the Cyprus game while Anthony Stokes must, for the moment content himself with rehabilitation at under-21 level.

Staunton insists he and the players will pursue qualification for next summer's finals as long as it remains a mathematical possibility but "the most important thing we can do is finish as high as we can so that we can end up as higher seeds than we were for this competition. That could be a big help to our World Cup campaign." He went on to insist that he would be around for that campaign, observing that he had been recruited to build a squad better equipped to challenge for qualification next time around and that he remains on course to achieve that goal.

Asked about the tone of the criticism he came in for in the wake of the trip to Bratislava and Prague, Staunton said that while he doesn't read the coverage he accepts it is part and parcel of being in the glare of what he believes to be an excessively critical media.

"If it's not me then it's Eddie O'Sullivan and if it's not him then it's the Taoiseach," he said.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich striker Miroslav Klose has been ruled out of Germany's trip to Dublin after picking up a knee injury in the club's Bundesliga win over Bayer Leverkusen at the weekend. Klose, top scorer in last year's World Cup finals, (29) has scored four times in the current campaign. Left back Philipp Lahm is also set to miss the Dublin game after muscles in his left knee were weakened while he wore a brace intended to keep him playing.