The manager of Ireland's U21 team, Don Givens, expressed concern about the fitness of two of his squad after training at Corinthians Park in Cork ahead of their World Cup tie against France on Tuesday.
Paddy McCarthy (Leicester City) and Kevin Foley (Luton Town) both missed training and instead received treatment on injuries.
Chances were rated good that Foley would have recovered sufficiently from a knock on his knee to allow him train on the eve of the game and be available for selection.
More concern was expressed about McCarthy who is struggling with an ankle injury. The injury has dogged the player in recent weeks and an assessment of his state of health will be made at training on the eve of the game.
Meanwhile Gary Dicker (UCD) was yesterday called into the squad for Tuesday’s tie against France at Turner’s Cross (7.45 kick-off).
Dicker was called up by manager Don Givens to replace Glenn Whelan (Sheffield Wednesday), who was forced to cry off because of injury.
This is the second enforced change in the squad originally chosen by Givens. Stephen Dawson (Mansfield Town) was brought in for the injured Darren Potter (Liverpool).
Ireland trained on Sunday at 5 pm on College Corinthians’ pitch in preparation for a match in which they will be playing for pride only. They will want to reverse the narrow 0-1 defeat they suffered in France in October.
The revised Irish squad is:
Republic of Ireland Squad:
Wayne Henderson Brighton & Hove Albion
Darren Quigley U.C.D
Kevin Foley Luton Town
Stephen Kelly Tottenham Hotspur
Paddy McCarthy Leicester City
John Fitzgerald Bury
Alan Sheehan Leicester City
Stephen Paisley Longford Town
Willo Flood Coventry City
Stephen Dawson Mansfield Town
Gary Dicker UCD
Liam Kearney Cork City
Aiden McGeady Glasgow Celtic
Jay Tabb Brentford
Kevin Doyle Reading
Daryl Murphy Sunderland
Roy O’Donovan Cork City
__________________ Life is a Waste of Time, Time is a Waste of Life, Get Wasted all the Time And you will have the Time of your Life !!!
Givens had better not play O Donovan and Kearney from the start considering they were both playing last Saturday night in a game that went to extra time and have another game coming up on Friday night.
But he has never given (no pun intended) a shit about eircom league clubs in the past so I wouldn't be surprised if he does play them from the start and for the full ninety minutes.
Ireland Vs France U21
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