World Cup qualifiers:Aiden McGeady and Shay Given sat out training this morning after the 1-1 draw with Bulgaria at Croke Park, but while the latter was merely rested there is serious doubt over the availability of the Celtic player for the match against Italy in Bari on Wednesday.

Giovanni Trapattoni made a late call on including McGeady last night because the winger had been struggling all week with a bruised right foot. His replacement by Andy Keogh in the 90th minute was the only substitution of the night and came after a heavy challenge left him hobbling.

McGeady left Croke Park icing a knee injury and when questioned on his fitness this morning Trapattoni did not rule him out of the meeting with the world champions but pointedly extolled the virtues of Wolves striker Keogh and Reading's Shane Long. on the right wing.

"Shay Given will be fit I'm sure, but at the moment my only change is likely to be McGeady," said the manager.

"He had a bit of a knock to the knee and I don't know," he continued. "I hope he will be fit but if not then, as I said before, we have Andy Keogh who is in good form and we also have Shane Long."

McGeady’s absence, coupled with that of Damien Duff, would seriously blunt Ireland’s attacking options in Bari, though, as is always the case with Trapattoni, avoiding defeat is the priority against Marcello Lippi’s side.

The Italian was adamant last night there was nothing Kevin Kilbane could have done about his own goal that cost his side two vital points at Croke Park.

Ireland were leading 1-0 and had a top-two finish in Group Eight within their grasp when Kilbane, winning his 94th senior cap, unwittingly diverted Stiliyan Petrov’s driven cross into his own net.

The 74th-minute goal proved enough to secure a fourth successive draw for Stanimir Stoilov’s side, who nevertheless remain seven points adrift of the Republic.

“I don’t blame Kilbane for what happened. It was an accident,” Trapattoni said. “He did not have time to react. He was trying to stop the ball, but there was not much that he could do.”

Captain Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle both missed good chances in a frantic conclusion, and Trapattoni later admitted a lack of calmness in front of goal had cost his side.

“With a little bit of calm in front of the goalkeeper, we could have scored a goal,” he said. “Doyle had a header in the last minute - okay, he was tired - and Robbie, we had two players in the middle and he shot for goal.

“We were anxious in that situation. We could have scored a goal if we had been calm.

“We need to stay calm in those situations.”