SOCCER:DESPITE ALLOWING the player to spend an extra day at Aston villa in order to work on his fitness with the physiotherapists there, Giovanni Trapattoni insisted yesterday Richard Dunne is fit and will be ready to play against Macedonia at the Aviva stadium on Saturday night.
The Dubliner missed Villa’s defeat by Wolves due to a shoulder injury and had been rated as doubtful for the European Championship qualifier. Trapattoni was adamant yesterday, however, “if the game was tomorrow, he would be ready but the club physio asked if he could stay for another day or two and for me it was okay.”
Dunne’s recent difficulties with his club, who fined him last week over a drink-fuelled row with members of the coaching staff on a team bonding trip at the start of the month, has raised concerns the 31-year-old has again slipped into the sort of lifestyle away from the pitch that threatened to seriously derail his career during his time at Everton and his early days at Manchester City.
Trapattoni acknowledged that while many of the Irish players have a drink during international trips, he has no objections as long as they do so in “moderation . . . that is one night in the week and not six. “The English (based) players are under a lot of pressure and psychologically, they need to rest. I don’t mind if they go for a couple of drinks, they need to let a bit of steam off too but when he (Dunne) comes in with us he has always been okay.”
The manager acknowledged he has had to speak to a number of players on at least one occasion over a curfew but, he said: “We’re not in a prison, you have to trust them. You cannot go to bed with them. They have to take responsibility.”
A fully fit Dunne would be a significant boost to Trapattoni as he prepares for Saturday’s game without John O’Shea. The Italian all but confirmed yesterday Kevin Foley will take over the Manchester United defender’s regular role on the right side of the back four, a first competitive international outing for the 26-year-old almost five years after he was first called into an Ireland squad – by Steve Staunton for the friendly against Chile in May 2006.
Since then the highly versatile Wolves player has started just one game and came on in another two, amassing just over 90 minutes of action at right back plus a handful more in midfield.
Trapattoni’s most likely alternative, though, is Séamus Coleman – who didn’t train yesterday because of what is reckoned to be a minor ankle injury – but the Italian was clear yesterday he views Foley’s greater experience in the role at club level as giving him an important edge.
“He’s an athletic player with good initiative, even without the ball he goes forward and that’s important but he also gets back quickly to defend. My dream is that in the future Coleman may one day play like this but at the moment he is playing more forward.
“Foley is in good condition, I saw him on Saturday and I think he can play there. He knows the position, he has played many games there and also in midfield. It’s good because the position is important.”
The manager does at least have plenty of options at his disposal, with almost all of the 27 remaining members of his 29-man squad having arrived for training yesterday morning. Aside from Dunne, Darron Gibson had stayed on at Manchester United for treatment on a toe injury but he is also expected to be fit for Saturday, with Trapattoni hinting that if the midfielder is “100 per cent” then he will most likely start in central midfield. Jonathan Walters is due to join up with the squad tomorrow having been given an extra couple of days at home with his partner who is due a baby.
Damien Duff was rested yesterday due to some inflammation around his Achilles tendon while Leon Best swam rather than train with the rest of the group but Robbie Keane and Keith Fahey did train, while James McCarthy also took a full part in the session.
“He won’t start,” said Trapattoni of the Wigan midfielder, whose international future has generated so much attention over the past few months. “It would be tough for him to start immediately but for three minutes maybe he’ll play,” he continued with a smile. “I hope maybe more.”
Keane’s presence was, of course, cited as being important for the Irish cause and there is no doubt that he will start. “They (Macedonia) are aggressive, strong in midfield and it’s important that we force the game. Duff, (Aiden) McGeady, Keane, they are important for us. Keane can play maybe one half or 60 minutes, we need his experience. Afterwards, we have (Shane) Long or Walters but we need to rely on our pride and experience.”
