WORLD CUP 2002/Countdown: In Saipan, land of the revolving niggle, Kenny Cunningham was the latest of the Irish to take an enforced rest yesterday.A minor hamstring injury now threatens to keep him out of Saturday's game against Hiroshima, the Republic's last of its build up to these World Cup finals.

Cunningham received treatment for what was described as a "sore" but "minor" strain yesterday and Mick McCarthy insisted, while they might have to nurse the 30 year-old through a little over the next week or so, the problem would not threaten his availability for Saturday week's first World Cup game in Niigata.

"It's been quite tender today, there's no doubt about it," said the Ireland manager after returning from the session, "but I don't see there being any difficulty at all with him for the Cameroon game".

His start against Nigeria last week clearly suggested that Cunningham is McCarthy's current preference for the second central defensive role with Steve Staunton having done enough since returning to the starting line-up against Portugal last June to ensure his place in the side that faces Cameroon.

Yesterday, however, McCarthy firmly talked up Cunningham's main rival for a place in the side, paying tribute to the dedication of Gary Breen at a time when the long-serving centre half is technically without a club.

"I don't think he'll have too much problem on that score to be fair," observed the manager with a smile.

"We've got a lot of good professionals with us here, but, even within this room, I don't think Gary's as appreciated as he is amongst his fellow players.

"It's a measure of his professionalism too that I don't think I've heard a word about where he's supposed to be going when he gets back home.

"I don't think he's bothered, to be honest. He's always been one of our most consistent performers and, at the moment, he's just going out there every day and getting on with preparing for what we have to do over the next couple of weeks."

Breen may well start against Hiroshima in the game intended to mark the official opening of their new stadium this weekend.

McCarthy maintains he will, in any case, almost certainly use the opportunity to give a good proportion of his squad the chance to experience the more competitive football the game should provide as compared with the team's training sessions here this week.

"I'll probably play a good few players rather than stick with having too many of them out there for the whole 90 minutes," he said. "A few of them could probably still do with it, although, to be fair, they all look good now.

"I thought in the Sunderland game that some of the first division lads were pouring sweat a bit, but they've caught up now, everybody looks fit."

Most seem content with the way their preparations are progressing too, although, for Roy Keane, the lack of a more competitive edge was clearly a considerable irritation in yesterday afternoon's session.

With the squad's three goalkeepers having started training in the intense heat before the rest of the players a decision was taken to play the afternoon's practice game without anybody in goals.

The move sparked an angry response from the Manchester United skipper who first berated goalkeeping coach Packie Bonner and then moved on to Blackburn's Alan Kelly.

As the session ended McCarthy appeared to intervene in an attempt to make the peace. And, shortly afterwards, the whole squad boarded the bus for their hotel, just a little relieved perhaps to have another day in their island paradise almost behind them.