SOCCER EURO 2008Having remarked last week that his squad for the trip to Bratislava and Prague is the strongest he has been able to name since taking over as Ireland manager, Steve Staunton saw injury account for another of its members yesterday in the form of Darren Potter.
So far, however, Staunton's confirmed problems have been relatively small ones, and while Steve Finnan's availability for Saturday's game continues to hang in the balance, Shay Given trained yesterday without any difficulty and Paul McShane was said to be fine despite sitting out the end-of-session game.
Potter had a scan on a groin strain in Birmingham yesterday after which the news was dispatched that he would not be fit enough to travel tomorrow, but, it was later pointed out, he may yet be asked to make his way to Prague at the start of next week if he is needed.
With Lee Carsley, Kevin Kilbane and Andy Reid among the Irish players on a yellow card heading into Saturday's match, the 22-year-old may well yet find himself on a plane.
Finnan may also end up having to settle for a run-out in Prague, with Staunton conceding yesterday that if the full back, who is receiving treatment at Liverpool on a knee injury sustained in Saturday's drubbing of Derby, doesn't make the weekend, "there's always Wednesday."
The manager's confidence, however, that Given and McShane will be fit to start on Saturday will be seen as a boost, particularly in the former's case as Given's habit of not being around for Ireland's more calamitous performances can hardly be viewed as a coincidence.
The 31-year-old goalkeeper, though, has played just once for Newcastle - a 2-0 League Cup win over Barnsley - since limping out of a pre-season friendly with a groin strain.
Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce then preferred Steve Harper to the Donegalman for Saturday's Premier League defeat of Wigan, but Given was on the bench and the extent of his involvement at Malahide yesterday certainly suggested he is in good shape again.
Asked if the goalkeeper's lack of recent competitive action is a concern going into such big games, Staunton made clear that it is not.
"He played last Wednesday and that's good enough for me," said the manager. "Even if Shay hadn't played any games, I wouldn't have had any problem picking him."
McShane's case for inclusion looked a little less convincing as he sat and watched the rest of the squad at play, but he too will be in a position to start against the Slovaks.
It is a measure of how far the central defender has come in the last 12 months that he is now viewed as an automatic choice to partner Richard Dunne at the heart of the Irish back four, and Staunton said that the decision to rest him had been taken as a precaution.
"Paul's had a (shoulder) problem for the last week or so. But he's done his fitness work and he doesn't need to get involved in any contact stuff that might make it sorer."
Shane Long trained with a hand heavily strapped after having a pin inserted in the thumb last week.
"Hopefully, it won't affect him putting the ball in the net," said Staunton, "but he fell on it today and there was no reaction."
Stephen Ireland, meanwhile, missed training, but had, said his manager, just flown into Dublin from England.
That, he said, has left him with a sufficiently large travelling party and there are no plans to add anyone, at least not until after the weekend when - aside from injury issues being resolved - the under-21 side play Portugal in Cork on Friday night.
Ireland travel knowing that a defeat on Saturday would pretty much put an end to the team's remaining hopes of making it to next year's European Championship finals.
With his team trailing the group leaders by six points with five games remaining, Staunton conceded previously that the Republic were effectively already embroiled in a battle for second place as Germany are firmly on course to top the group.
The German team manager Oliver Bierhoff left little doubt, when asked yesterday about Michael Ballack's omission from Chelsea's Champions League squad, that he sees things in much the same way.
"Obviously we're concerned," he said. "Michael is the only one who can tell us what happened. It's stunning when a player of his calibre is not included in the Champions League squad.
"We're still hopeful that Michael will be with us in October for the Euro qualifier against Ireland. But the most important thing is that he is 100 per cent fit for the Euros next summer."
Group D
P W D L F A Pts
Germany 7 6 1 0 29 4 19
Czech Republic 7 4 2 1 15 4 14
REP OF IRELAND 7 4 1 2 12 8 13
Slovakia 7 3 0 4 16 13 9
Wales 6 2 1 3 8 9 7
Cyprus 7 2 1 4 10 16 7
San Marino 7 0 0 7 1 37 0
Remaining Fixtures
(Irish-times)
Saturday - San Marino v Czech Rep (7.15pm), Slovakia v Rep of Ireland (7.30m, Live RTÉ 2/Sky Sports 2), Wales v Germany (7.30pm, Live Sky Sports 1).
Wednesday - Cyprus v San Marino (7pm), Czech Rep v Rep of Ireland (7.30pm), Slovakia v Wales (5.30pm).
Saturday, Oct 13th - Cyprus v Wales, Rep of Ireland v Germany, Slovakia v San Marino. Wednesday, Oct 17th - Germany v Czech Rep; Rep of Ireland v Cyprus; San Marino v Wales. Saturday, Nov 17th - Czech Rep v Slovakia; Germany v Cyprus; Wales v Rep of Ireland. Wednesday, Nov 21st - Cyprus v Czech Rep; Germany v Wales; San Marino v Slovakia.
u Group winner and runner-up qualifies automatically for the Euro 2008 finals (to be held from June 7th to 29th, 2008).
