ROBBIE KEANE became the first major injury casualty in the build-up to tomorrow’s friendly international against Brazil at the Emirates yesterday with the Irish captain forced to pull out of Giovanni Trapattoni’s squad for the game due to a knee injury that, Celtic had revealed during the week, had been troubling him ahead of yesterday’s Old Firm game.

In the end, the Dubliner played all 90 minutes of the match which Celtic lost 1-0 but the exertion appeared to take its toll and the FAI were informed early last night that the striker would not be travelling south to join up with the rest of the Republic of Ireland squad.

In his place, Trapattoni has called up Anthony Stokes whose second stint in Scotland is proving to be another remarkably prolific affair. On Saturday, he scored a penalty that gave Hibernian an early lead against Kilmarnock.

The visitors fought their way back to secure a draw but the Irishman’s goal was his 16th in the league so far this season, a total that is second only to the 21 registered by Kris Boyd of Rangers.

With no word at that stage that the Irish were about to lose their captain, Marco Tardelli, meanwhile, had suggested a couple of hours before Keane’s withdrawal that young midfielder James McCarthy looked to be Ireland’s main doubt for tomorrow’s game and said a call will most likely be made on the injury to the player’s left ankle after training this morning.

“The doctor will make a decision tomorrow,” said Tardelli, “but I think it’s possible he’ll be okay. I think the problem is that it (yesterday’s tackle) was on an old injury, that three matches ago he took a knock and he was still carrying it. Today, he didn’t train just ran but hopefully tomorrow he will be better.”

McCarthy himself seemed unperturbed by the setback and even a little amused by the ferocity of Liam Ridgewell’s challenge which caused the injury during Wigan’s defeat at Birmingham City on Saturday given their location – by a corner flag.

The 19-year-old, who was born in Glasgow but who qualifies for the Republic by virtue of maternal grandfather, Paddy Coyle from Gweedore, seemed happy to have finally realised one of his ambitions, to be part of the squad, and there was no sense of any great impatience to push on from there at the first attempt however much he’d like to.

“It’s absolutely unbelievable to meet all the players,” he said with a broad grin that suggested just a lingering hint of disbelief. “All of them have been great as well, I’m absolutely delighted to be in, to get a call-up is an unbelievable achievement for my family and myself.”

The problem with the ankle, he says, was a concern last Wednesday but, he said the clash with Ridgwell has been a setback to a recovery that seemed to be going quite well. Still, he insists he hasn’t given up on getting some sort of brief run-out against the South Americans.

“I didn’t train Thursday or Friday, to be honest,” he says. “Yesterday, I played and got the kick on the same spot. It was a bit reckless. I was hardly even on the park and he came flying through me but these things happen in football, you just get on with it. I’m going to try and train tomorrow and hopefully everything is okay.”

If he does get on at some stage over the course of the night, it should finally lay to rest the ongoing saga over his decision to declare for the Republic having, he feels, been snubbed by the Scots when just coming to prominence in his mid-teens.

The issue was dragged up by the Scottish newspapers again in January and there was some hope there that team captain Gary Caldwell, having just arrived at Wigan himself from Celtic, would be able to prompt a change of heart.

“Craig Levein spoke to Gary about it, I think, and Gary had a word with me but there was never any chance because Ireland have done so well for me in everything, I was delighted to be part of the Irish set-up.

“It’s a bit frustrating when it keeps coming back now and again. I don’t know where it’s coming from, I don’t know who’s saying it, I just have to block it out and just get on with our own game. Liam Brady called to ask about it last month but I told him nothing was happening. Scotland said I wasn’t good enough and Ireland came in and I was delighted to go and represent Ireland, especially for my grandad, who was so proud.”

Trapattoni, who appeared behind the journalists as they spoke to the teenager, to light-heartedly offer advice on his media relations (“Be careful because they remember everything . . . not just today or tomorrow, but in six months, in years), suggested last month that McCarthy could play behind a striker in the role sometimes occupied by Stephen Ireland and the teenager looked happy when the idea was put to him.

“Yeah, central midfield or that number 10 role, I’ve played them a fair bit but really, I’d play anywhere to get in the starting 11 for Ireland.”

After a sluggish start at Wigan following what he admits was a difficult move, he feels he is certainly heading in the right direction now.

“It’s a big move for me to move away from the family. It was a bit hard at first, it’s a move to the English Premier League, it’s one of the best leagues in the world. At first it was a bit hard. I got injured and I wasn’t playing and my fitness was going. But I’ve got a wee run in the team and I’m absolutely delighted with it now.

“The manager has been working on me technically, and getting me to do a bit of upper-body work as well. He just constantly wants us to play with the ball which is really good.”