Under-21 international: Gary Dempsey has been forced to withdraw from Don Givens's Under-21 squad for the Republic of Ireland's two European Championship games against Georgia and Albania at the end of the month.

Dempsey sustained a double fracture of the jaw during Dunfermline's Scottish Premier Division game on Sunday against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park, the ground where he made his Under-21 international debut against Scotland in February. He will be out of action for up to six weeks.

Dempsey came on as a substitute after an hour and played on after the injury occurred. It was subsequently discovered his jaw had been broken. Michael Keane of Preston North End comes in.

The Republic play Georgia in the Boris Paichadze National Stadium, Tbilisi, on Friday, March 28th (kick-off 4.00 p.m., 12.00 noon Irish time) and face Albania four days later on April 1st, in the Selman Stermasi Stadium, Tirana, (kick-off 3.00 p.m., 2.00 p.m. Irish time).