John Sheridan, the former Republic of Ireland midfield player, may make his first appearance of the season for Bolton Wanderers at Burnden Park this weekend.

Sheridan is in line for selection for the game against Coventry City after testing his suspect knee in two appearances with the club's reserve team in recent weeks.

His recovery from damaged knee ligaments, sustained during the club's pre-season programme, has proved uncommonly difficult, but he now believes that he has overcome the problem.

Sheridan (33), who was in Jack Charlton's squad for the finals of the 1988 European Championship in Germany and went to two World Cup finals, hasn't appeared in Ireland's team since Mick McCarthy's first game in charge against Russia in March 1986.

He still retains ambitions of reclaiming his place in midfield, but acknowledges that his first priority is to re-establish himself in Colin Todd's team at Bolton.

Tottenham and Irish under-21 international striker Neale Fenn is to go on loan to third division Leyton Orient on Monday for month.

Meanwhile, the FAI said yesterday that there have been no new developments regarding the proposal for a match against Jamaica at a London venue on March 22nd immediately before the Irish party sets off for their game against the Czech Republic three days later.

The novel fixture was first mooted by an agent acting on behalf of the Jamaican Football Federation, but a spokesperson for the FAI said that despite attempts to progress the matter, there had been no fresh developments in the last week.