Harry Arter leaves Ireland camp with thigh injury

Harry Arter has travelled home to England this afternoon and now looks certain to miss the European Championships but Robbie Keane looks more likely to make the cut when manager Martin O'Neill names his 23 man squad for the tournament later on tonight.

Arter pulled up in training at Turner’s Cross yesterday and received treatment immediately to what was looked a serious thigh problem. The player later received a scan and the conclusion appears to have been that the problem was serious enough to end his hopes of travelling to France.

The decision has not been confirmed but the fact that he has left the group makes it almost certain that his hopes of playing at the finals are now at an end.

Keane, as captain and the country’s top goalscorer is set, meanwhile, to be given more leeway by O’Neill who would be able to replace the 35 year-old in the event that the calf problem he picked up in training on Saturday does not clear up over the coming week.

The striker suggested yesterday that his injury was not serious enough to threaten his place in the group.

O’Neill must inform Uefa of his 23 man selection by 10.59 Irish time this evening but can replace players deemed to be unavailable through injury as long as the decision is approved by a tournament doctor.

The squad is scheduled to be made public at some point between 10.20 and 11.15 with O’Neill saying that he intends to tell the other players set to miss out personally while the affected clubs also have to be informed.

Meanwhile, there was no place for squad hopeful Stephen Quinn in the team to face Belarus with David Meyler and Darron Gibson getting the nod in midfield.

IRELAND: Shay Given; Cyrus Christie, Richard Keogh, Ciaran Clark, Stephen Ward; David Meyler, Darron Gibson, Jeff Hendrick, James McClean, Aiden McGeady, Daryl Murphy.