Ian Harte is in line to start his first Republic of Ireland game of the season when Mick McCarthy names his team today to meet Paraguay in tomorrow's international friendly game at Lansdowne Road.

It follows the withdrawal yesterday of Steve Staunton with a calf muscle injury which troubled him in the closing stages of Liverpool's 3-1 win over Middlesbrough at Anfield on Saturday.

Although Staunton reported to the Ireland team hotel on Sunday, McCarthy has decided that it would be unwise to risk him and the player returned to Liverpool last night. The end product is that Harte is almost certain to be given the opportunity of reviving a promising international career which after encompassing 18 games ran into problems at the start of the European qualifying programme in August.

In a sense it's testimony to the revival now under way at Leeds United and the success of the youth policy which has enabled David O'Leary to make such a big impact at the start of his managerial career.

"The new boss is good to work with, he gives young players a fair chance and I think it shows on the pitch," said Harte. "For me, it's been a good season, a lot better than the last one when George Graham didn't play me as often.

"But to give him credit he was responsible for some of the best advice I've ever had when he told me to lose weight. He'd just bought Danny Granville from Chelsea for £1.6 million and I knew then that it was up to myself to get into shape when I came back for pre-season training.

"Whereas before I had been a burger and chips man, I began to eat more health foods like fish, chicken and pasta. I lost 10lb and it showed in my performances.

"Even when I had the extra weight I was still working up and down the pitch but invariably I tired towards the end. That doesn't happen any more and I reckon it's down to my new diet."

Having played in no fewer than five different positions for Leeds, including one appearance as an emergency goalkeeper for the reserve team, the Irishman's versatility is one of his biggest assets. McCarthy, who has never disguised his admiration for the player even as an improvised centre back, believes that left back, the role he will fill tomorrow, is his best position.

"I think Ian himself will acknowledge that, but where ever you play him he'll do a good job for you," he said. "He's having a great season and I know that it'll be no different if I put him in the team against Paraguay".

In between unsuccessful attempts to summon Curtis Fleming from Middlesbrough as full back cover, McCarthy was yesterday bemoaning the foul weather conditions which have ruled out this morning's planned training session at Lansdowne Road.

"Originally I had planned to play my strongest team but my concern is that with grounds the way they are somebody could easily get a knock and I don't want that to happen. I may make one or two changes in the side I had intended to select."

It still promises to be a strong Ireland team, although the manager was loath to comment on the make up of his central defensive formation, pending Ken Cunningham's arrival in Dublin this morning after playing for Wimbledon against Charlton Athletic last night.

If the rain and wet snow which fell during yesterday morning's training session sent shivers through the Irish players, one could only guess at the thoughts of the Paraguayans when they touched down on the flight taking them from Paris to Dublin last night.

Hugo Almeida, their new manager, admitted it would be a difficult assignment for his young players in unusual weather against a team they knew little about.

"Apart from the fact that they play a British style game, we know very little about Ireland," he said. "But these are the kind of challenges which our players must learn to master if they are to be successful."

With none of his foreign-based players available, Almeida has been forced to go with a highly improvised squad which contains only two survivors from their World Cup squad, Carlos Humberto Paredes and Denis Caniza.

It is scarcely a reassuring scenario for the man taking charge of the team for the first time.

Wolves have sent an official appeal to the FAI in a bid to get striker Robbie Keane released from duty at the World Under-20 Championships in Nigeria in April.

Wolves manager Colin Lee confirmed that an appeal had been sent to the FAI as Wolves are set to be without Keane for up to six games if he has to travel to Africa.

"Robbie is a full international and we feel this should be taken into account," said Lee, "but we are aware that if our appeal is turned down there is nothing that we can do as they are within their rights to call him up."