Connolly is latest absentee for Kerr

SOCCER/International news: As the Republic of Ireland players gathered at their north Dublin base yesterday ahead of Saturday's opening World Cup qualifier against Cyprus, David Connolly was the only confirmed casualty of the bank holiday club programme in Britain.

The striker, who played in Leicester's defeat by Brighton on Monday, is reported to have torn a calf muscle in the game and the club informed Brian Kerr yesterday that he would not be available for either of Ireland's games over the coming week.

Liam Miller was due at the team hotel late last night and Kerr admitted to not being entirely sure as to how fit the young Manchester United midfielder, who missed Monday's game against Everton, is at present.

It is expected, however, that he will shake off a couple of minor problems in order to be available for Saturday's match at Lansdowne Road.

"He's had a bit of treatment on a minor calf strain too and then he's had a trip to the dentist today, he's having some sort of ongoing treatment, so we'll see how he is when he gets in this evening," said the Ireland manager.

Rory Delap, meanwhile, has opted to stay on at Southampton for the next couple of days to receive treatment for an injury, also, as it happens, a calf strain.

The latest injuries follow previously reported problems for Roy Keane and Matt Holland both of whom are expected to miss both of the coming week's games. Keane's club said last week that he would be out for three weeks while Charlton boss Alan Curbishley said his player would also be unavailable to join the Irish party.

Nevertheless Kerr expressed the vague hope that Holland, a player who has enjoyed an almost entirely-injury free career to date, might somehow recover in time to play some part in next Wednesday's game in Basel.

"Mattie's somehow always managed to be fit in the past and you never know. It's unlikely at this stage, of course, given the timescale involved but if he called me on Thursday or Friday and said he was feeling much better I'd be delighted because we'd still have a bit of time before the Switzerland game."

Asked about the circumstances surrounding Keane's withdrawal from the squad the Ireland manager said he had a phonecall from the Manchester United skipper last Wednesday afternoon that he had not managed to answer. By the time he got back to the player, he said, Alex Ferguson had already released information on the Corkman's rib injury.

In the absence of the pair and with two other midfielders carrying even light knocks Kerr admitted that it would be "a major blow if we lose any more," but he maintained that for the moment he still has "six or seven players who can play in midfield if required and 20, 21 or even 22 overall so we'll see how we get on over the next couple of days before looking at any other options."

On other fronts there was better news with Kerr expressing surprise and some satisfaction that Robbie Keane had started for Tottenham over the weekend as well as delight that Clinton Morrison and Damien Duff had both returned to first team action.

Morrison's return from a knee injury is something of an 11th-hour affair for the Ireland manager but Kerr is confident that the striker is in good enough shape to play on Saturday if selected.

"There's certainly no lack of confidence about it on his part," laughed the manager as he considered the Birmingham City player's case. "Out there today he said it was the best he'd ever felt. The best he'd ever felt. Well, I'll take that any day."

As a number of his players battle minor injuries ahead of Saturday's game it might be assumed that at least one other, Andy Reid, is (barring any developments late last night) wrestling with the disappointment of not having secured the move he was hoping for to a premiership club.

Again Kerr said that he felt that the player would be fine, insisting that he has known Reid a long time and that the player is strong enough to get on with things.

"Sure he's probably a bit young yet to be worrying about getting a move but he's coped well with a lot of obstacles in his career," he said, "and I'm sure this will be no different. His attitude has always been great at Forest and he's consistently been their best player. I haven't talked to him about it all yet but I'd have to say that I'd have every confidence in his ability to put it all out of his head and perform if required to on Saturday."