Duff ruled out of Yugoslavia tie

Damien Duff is almost definitely out of Mick McCarthy's Republic of Ireland squad for Wednesday's Euro 2000 qualifying game with Yugoslavia at Lansdowne Road. Duff has trouble with a hamstring problem and McCarthy agreed to leave the player at Ewood Park for an extra day or two to see how the treatment comes along. He hopes that Duff might be fit to join the squad for the trip to Croatia for Saturday's match.

"There's no point in him coming here at this stage if Blackburn are helping him. I'll be talking to the physio again, but at this stage I'm afraid Damien is probably out of Wednesday's game," said McCarthy yesterday as his squad gathered in Dublin after their weekend assignments with their clubs.

McCarthy's other concern is another of his left-sided midfielders, Mark Kennedy.

Since his move from Wimbledon to Manchester City, Kennedy has rediscovered the sort of form that first made him look like such an attractive prospect to Liverpool when they bought him from Millwall five seasons ago.

Such has been his impact in the opening weeks of the campaign for his new club, however, that manager Joe Royle has indicated strongly that he will not release him ahead of tonight's home game against Nottingham Forest - a position which, said McCarthy yesterday, effectively rules him out of Wednesday's international match.

"I've talked to Joe," said McCarthy, "and the bottom line is that he doesn't have to release him, so he's not going to. In fairness to him they've had a good start, Mark's done very well and he wants to keep that going, but from our point of view it's a bit of a blow because Bolton away on Saturday, Forest at home on Monday and Yugoslavia on the Wednesday is a bit much to ask of anyone really."

Kennedy is now expected to join up with the squad tomorrow.

At yesterday's training session a total of 13 fit players were available to McCarthy. Roy Keane and Denis Irwin were both rested after picking up minor knee and achilles tendon injuries respectively.

McCarthy is confident that the pair will be ready in plenty of time for Wednesday's game. McCarthy received a boost over the weekend with Jeff Kenna starting his first game of the season and Gary Kelly returning to first team action after more than a year during which the Leeds United defender has been plagued by injury.

Kelly trained with the rest of the squad yesterday and is part of the panel for Wednesday's game, although the plan is that he will return to Elland Road on Thursday morning. "Just to be involved with the Irish squad is fantastic," he said yesterday, "but I was told to bring enough gear with me to go on the trip, too, and so if it works out that way and I end up travelling with the lads then, obviously, I'd be delighted."

Similarly Keith Branagan's involvement is currently intended to last until Thursday only and McCarthy played down the suggestion that he might call in replacements for Duff or even, over the next day or so, Kennedy.

"Anything could happen and I'll keep my options open, but generally we're so well covered for left-sided players that I don't see a problem at this moment in time."