Damien Duff's inexorable progress to senior international status was accelerated yesterday with his inclusion in the Republic of Ireland squad for their B meeting with Northern Ireland at Tolka Park on Wednesday, February 11th.

The call-up can be seen as an indication of Mick McCarthy's enthusiasm to settle Duff into the senior squad before embarking on his European Championship qualifying programme in the autumn.

Duff, acknowledged as one of the brightest Irish prospects to emerge for some time, has made the transition from youth to senior football at Blackburn with a fluency which has impressed the Ireland manager.

"The level of his performances with Blackburn this season has been very impressive and while international football is another step higher, I think the lad has the temperament to handle it," he said. "That natural talent has to be balanced, of course, against the danger of pushing him too hard, too soon, but hopefully we'll get it right."

There is also significant promotion for the exciting Wolves player, Robbie Keane, who, at 18, is still younger than Duff. His performances have been one of the more exciting features of the first division programme to date, a point duly acknowledged in the interest shown by clubs like Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa.

Playing behind the front two, Keane has scored eight times for Wolves this season and while a fitness problem kept him out of the FA Cup tie against Charlton last Saturday, he is likely to figure in the line-up at Tolka Park. Keane celebrated his call-up with a goal in Wolves' 3-1 win over Bury last night.

His summons by McCarthy comes at a time when Brian Kerr is building his plans for the European Youth Championship around him. That could mean a busy year for the lad from Tallaght, who joined Wolves from Crumlin United on the recommendation of Eddie Corcoran at the start of last season.

Ironically, McCarthy went to the Valley in the hope of seeing Keane play last Saturday. Instead, he left enthusing about the skills of Mark Kinsella, the Charlton midfielder whose performances have attracted a lot of favourable notices over the last two seasons.

Kinsella, a former Home Farm player who arrived at Charlton via Colchester, is seen as one of the contenders for Andy Townsend's place in central midfield next season. Another is Graham Kavanagh, now grown to new maturity with Stoke City, but the front-runner for the job at this point appears to be Gareth Farrelly of Everton.

Farrelly, last season's under-21 captain, hasn't appeared in the senior squad since the win over Bolivia in New Jersey in June, 1996. That was attributable in part to his lack of first-team football with Aston Villa, but with his move to Goodison Park, he is now at last developing a new edge to his game.

Apart from Farrelly, the other survivors from the B team which drew 1-1 with the National League, on March 17th last, are Brendan Murphy (Wimbledon), Richard Dunne (Everton) and Steve Finnan (Notts County). Of the six full internationals in the side, Gary Breen is the most experienced with 12 caps, but the biggest disappointment by some way is the loss of Keth O'Neill.

Just hours after welcoming the Norwich City striker back to the squad, McCarthy was informed that the player has suffered a recurrence of the foot injury which has kept him out of football for almost five months this season.

It's a substantial blow for O'Neill who appeared well on the way to re-establishing himself after playing in Norwich's last five games. Now he may face another protracted absence, a prospect which will hurt the manager as much as the player.

The great majority of the 20 players named in the squad have graduated from the under-21 team, but for two of them - Nick Colgan, Chelsea's reserve goalkeeper, and Philip Hardy, the Wrexham full back - it will be a welcome opportunity to impress after long absences from the representative scene.

Athlone Town, who met in committee on Monday to discuss the talks between club officials and the chairman of Wimbledon FC, Sam Hammam last Wednesday, said in a statement yesterday that they still have an open mind on the proposal to relocate the London club in Dublin.

The statement said that the decision to meet with Hammam should not be interpreted as meaning that they are supportive of the move to bring Premiership football to Dublin.