Soccer:Robbie Keane will take some part in Ireland training tomorrow, despite sustaining a leg injury in training this morning. The captain's fitness remains a concern but the prognosis appeared to be more positive when the team arrived in Skopje this evening.

Ireland’s record goal-scorer had to drop out of the session at Gannon Park today, after injuring himself in a tackle with Damien Delaney 15 minutes into the practice game.

Assistant manager Marco Tardelli described it as a “slight problem” before the team’s departure this morning, but added: “I think he will be okay for Skopje.”

Since then, sounds emerging from the camp suggest he will not even take tomorrow off.

Ireland play Macedonia in the Euro 2012 qualifier on Saturday evening, and while Keane is certain to start if fit, it is the decision of who to play alongside him that may prove the most controversial.

West Brom’s Simon Cox appears to be in pole position ahead of Shane Long, after impressing manager Giovanni Trapattoni during the Carling Nations Cup.

Long sat out the fledgling tournament while on Championship play-off duty with his club Reading, but before Cox’s goal-scoring debut against Northern Ireland and his outing against Scotland, he was firm favourite to step in for the injured Kevin Doyle.

The striker earned high praise from his manager after putting in a man-of-the-match performance in the 3-2 friendly defeat to Uruguay in March, but that came after 70 minutes against Macedonia in which he got little change from a physical visiting defence.

Trapattoni may also be taking into account the physical and mental demands of a play-off final defeat to Swansea City on Monday, but given Long’s energy and return for his club this season – he scored 21 in 44 league games – it would be a surprise to see him omitted in favour of a newcomer who has struggled for regular football this year.

However, it is also possible the manager feels the Tipperary man might be a better impact player off the bench.

Should Cox score in an Ireland win, of course, all will be forgotten.

Victory will depend just as much on a defensive line denied its leader Richard Dunne, whose yellow card in the 2-1 win over Macedonia three months ago ruled him out of Saturday’s encounter.

It looks likely Stephen Kelly will start at right back rather than Paul McShane, while Tardelli suggested Darren O’Dea will get the nod over Seán St Ledger to partner John O’Shea at the heart of the defence.

“I think Darren O’Dea will start because St Ledger has been out for three months and that’s a long time coming into a game like this,” added Tardelli.

St Ledger has not played since picking up an injury in a training ground collision with Ciaran Clark in March and his lack of match-fitness, plus O’Dea’s physicality, which served him well in March’s game, appears to have swayed Trapattoni.

The experience of Kevin Kilbane is set to be preferred to the adventure of Stephen Ward, who scored on his debut against Northern Ireland last month.

In midfield, Stephen Hunt and Aiden McGeady will man the wings, while Glenn Whelan and Keith Andrews are set to start in the centre of midfield.

Rep of Ireland (probable):Given; Kelly, O'Dea, O'Shea, Kilbane; McGeady, Whelan, Andrews, Hunt; Keane, Cox.