Roy Keane may be given an opportunity this evening to prove he represents a viable alternative to Andy Townsend as captain of the Republic of Ireland team.

Together with Steve Staunton, Keane is one of those in line to lead out the team to meet the National League in Eoin Hand's testimonial game, sponsored by TNT, at Tolka Park (7.45).

The game marks the start of the build-up to the World Cup assignments against Iceland next Saturday and Lithuania in Vilnius four days after. And if Townsend is reasonably certain to lead out the side in both games, nobody doubts that he is now entering the final phase of his captaincy.

So the search for a replacement has developed an element of urgency, and, after initial indications that Staunton was considered to hold the requisite qualifications, the emphasis now appears to be switching to Keane.

Mick McCarthy was giving nothing away yesterday, but despite that caution, there appears to be a consensus favouring the Manchester United player.

It was Keane who was handed the captain's arm band after Townsend had departed prematurely from the game against Russia at Lansdowne Road in March of last year, and, while he blotted his book subsequently, first by getting sent off in that match, and then by spurning the chance to lead the team on their American tour some three months later, he now appears to be fully rehabilitated.

Staunton skippered the team in Cardiff earlier this year. But the equation has changed again with Keane's appointment to succeed Eric Cantona as captain of Manchester United.

McCarthy refuses to attach any long-term significance to this evening's appointment, but confirms Keane's growing influence on the team's strategy. "After missing out on a number of international games, Roy is now back playing with a lot of his old fire," he said.

"I thought he had a great game against Lithuania - as good as he's ever played for Ireland - and he's now more important than ever to the team in the context of the World Cup.

"He appears to be thriving on the job of skippering Manchester United and, hopefully, he is going to take that form into the games in Iceland and Lithuania."

Townsend is one of the players ruled out of the Hand testimonial because of this evening's First Division programme in England. But McCarthy still plans to name a powerful team, made up predominantly of Premiership players, supplemented by David Connolly (Feyenoord) and Tony Cascarino (Nancy).

The exception may be in goal, where the manager will be anxious to assess Alan Kelly's fitness after his early season injury problems. Shay Given remains favourite to keep the goalkeeper's sweater for next Saturday's assignment in Reykjavik but, in fairness to Kelly, McCarthy is adamant that he should have an opportunity of proving that his absence from Sheffield United's early season programme has not blunted his reflexes.

The manager will also avail of the opportunity of settling Jason McAteer and Gary Kelly back into the side. Both are returning from suspensions - in McAteer's case a three-match ban.

McCarthy will not name his team until just before kick-off, but with Niall Quinn and Keith O'Neill both unavailable, the certainty is that Cascarino will again team up with Connolly in a partnership which met with scant success against the Lithuanians.

For years, home-based players have been coveting the chance to test their skills against the best of our emigrant talent, and thus the game will serve an added purpose. It is 11 years since Pat Byrne became the last player from the old League of Ireland to be capped, and some believe they have been harshly treated in the intervening period.

After wins over the Welsh League and a team of semi-professionals from England, followed by a 1-1 draw with a Republic of Ireland "B" team last season, Pat Devlin, the National League manager, believes his squad have already made a few pertinent points.

"They've done almost everything that has been asked of them, and while people tell me that we've no chance of winning tomorrow's game, that is an opinion which is certainly not shared by the players" he said.

Three of those who contributed significantly last season - Pat Morley, Colm Tresson and team captain John McDonnell - are not available. But with Eddie Gormley taking over the captaincy from his old clubmate at Richmond Park, Devlin is hopeful of masterminding another gratifying performance by his team.

Like McCarthy, he has decided on a late team selection, but the Shelbourne pair, Pat Scully and Declan Geoghegan, are certain to be asked to close up the path to Tony O'Dowd's goal, with Stephen Geoghegan, another Shelbourne player, spearheading the search for goals.