SOCCER:GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI will make two changes to his starting line-up for tomorrow night's game against Colombia in Craven Cottage, with two late arrivals to the squad, John O'Shea and Aiden McGeady, set to start against the South Americans.

The change on the wing was prompted by Stephen Hunt's withdrawal after the recurrence of a hamstring injury that had troubled the Reading player over the closing weeks of the season. The change could prompt a switch from the right flank to the left for Damien Duff.

The winger looked lively over the weekend but the Serbs severely restricted the number of times he was able to cut inside from the right onto his left foot and so limited the threat he posed to their goal.

Afterwards, the team's coach, Miroslav Djukic, explained that the ploy of having a midfielder drop back to help the left back contain Duff had been a key part of his defensive strategy.

It worked well although the winger was far from fully fit after a difficult season at Newcastle. Nevertheless, with McGeady available now, Duff may be started on the left so that he can look to provide a steadier supply of crosses for Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle in the centre.

The decision to play O'Shea at right back, meanwhile, is the first indication of the role Trapattoni expects the Manchester United utility player to fill when the qualifying campaign gets under way in the autumn.

That may be viewed with some concern by Stephen Kelly, who is dropped despite having performed solidly at Croke Park.

Clearly, though, O'Shea remains an option in several positions and his adaptability will be especially prized by the veteran Italian given the lack of depth in the squad.

If Steve Finnan returns in the autumn - and Trapattoni has said he will - O'Shea is more likely to play at left back during the qualifying campaign.

However, a stint in the centre of the defence is also a distinct possibility if Paul McShane struggles to recover his form and place at club level. And even a return to central midfield, where Steve Staunton had intended to use him at the start of the last campaign, cannot be ruled out.

"I saw him on the right and I saw him on the left," said Trapattoni yesterday of the Waterfordman. "He has two good feet and can play on either side easy."

Significantly, though, the fact that he starts on the right leaves the way clear for Damien Delaney to pick up his second cap at left back and McShane in a position to consign Saturday's mistake against the Serbs to history.

"Over 90 minutes he and Richard Dunne have great confidence," said the coach of his two centre halves. "Sometimes they are really sure of themselves but they have to be careful at times too."

That McGeady would start always seemed likely after Hunt's withdrawal and Trapattoni said that he was happy enough with the way things had turned out.

"Stephen had an injury from five weeks ago and he felt it again on Saturday. I let him go back home because it was impossible for him to play in this game.

"But I was very pleased with McGeady today," he continued. "I wasn't sure if he would be able to play immediately but I have no doubt about it now. He and O'Shea both look ready."

With just a couple of day remaining now before his players go their separate ways for the summer break, Trapattoni says he is pleased with what has been achieved in the get-together.

Having kept very much the same team as the one he fielded against Serbia on Saturday, when he settled for making just three substitutions, he gave a clear impression yesterday that other squad members could expect to get a run-out.

He has, to be fair, been giving the players as much time as possible on the pitch to show him what they can do.

The squad have been training morning and afternoon on most days they have been together over the last two weeks, and what may have been further, slightly bizarre, evidence of the new regime's changed methods came after training yesterday when Robbie Keane, Richard Dunne and Stephen McPhail skipped the short bus-ride to the team hotel and opted to jog back along the seafront instead.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND (v Colombia, Craven Cottage, tomorrow, 8pm):Kiely (West Brom); O'Shea (Manchester Utd), Dunne (Manchester City), McShane (Sunderland), Delaney (QPR); Duff (Newcastle Utd), Miller (Sunderland), Whelan (Stoke City); Doyle (Reading), Keane (Tottenham).