Kelly in surprise United move

Republic of Ireland international goalkeeper Alan Kelly was last night on the verge of a surprise move to Premiership champions Manchester United as Alex Ferguson sought emergency cover for injuries at the club.

While the player himself admitted to being in the dark as regards the move, club sources in England indicated that United were pushing to complete the signing by tomorrow's Premiership deadline.

With Fabien Barthez and Raymond Van der Gouw both injured, United have also obtained dispensation from UEFA allowing them to bring in a new goalkeeper ahead of next month's champions league quarter-final against Bayern Munich.

If the deal goes through Kelly would leave his troubles at Blackburn Rovers well behind and could go into the United starting line-up ahead of 19 year-old American Paul Rachubka for the games against Liverpool and Bayern on March 31st and April 3rd respectively.

However, Kelly is expected to be on the substitute's bench as things get under way in earnest for Mick McCarthy and his squad as they prepare for the vital World Cup qualifiers against Cyprus and Andorra. After arriving in Limassol last night, the players are scheduled to go through their first intensive training session this morning and yesterday the manager went close to killing off any lingering speculation surrounding three members of his starting line-up for Saturday's game against Cyprus.

With very little prodding the Ireland boss conceded that circumstances had more or less ensured that Shay Given will start his first competitive international for more than two years, David Connolly will partner Robbie Keane up front and Mark Kinsella will retain his place in midfield despite his recent injury problems.

The Charlton midfielder hasn't played 90 minutes at club level since St Stephen's Day but having come through 27 minutes against Leeds on Saturday, and impressed in training on Sunday, McCarthy suggested that he had little problem keeping faith with the Dubliner.

"He hasn't played as much for his club as I would have liked but then people would have said the same about me at different times and it never affected the way Jack Charlton viewed the situation," he remarked.

"If he's fit, and I mean fully fit, then I don't have a problem with starting Mark and I don't see any reason to think he won't be fully fit on Saturday."

The identity of Robbie Keane's striking partner had been the subject of far more interest with Connolly named for the abandoned Denmark game a few weeks ago, but Gary Doherty's sustained run of form ensured that there was at least a choice to be made.

However, McCarthy, highlighting he would be watching everyone in training over the next few day, observed "David is the specialist centre forward that we have with us; he's the one who has been doing it since he was a boy. Gary has done well there and I wouldn't have any reservations about using him there but I think he's probably a better centre half."

Given's first competitive start since the 1-0 defeat in Belgrade more than two years ago looks more or less a formality in light of the conversation McCarthy had with his three goalkeepers in Amsterdam back in September.

At that stage the Ireland manager told the Newcastle United man as well as Kelly and Dean Kiely that regular first team football would be a key factor when it came to picking his teams for that latter part of the season.

With Kelly out of favour at club level and Kiely replaced by Nicky Colgan on this trip because of injury, that makes the decision something of a foregone conclusion.

"It would be great to get back in for a competitive match," said Given yesterday while insisting that he is not taking anything for granted.

"It's been a long time now since I had some injury problems and lost out but Alan was doing very well in the side so there wasn't much for me to do except grit my teeth and wait for my chance."

The 24 year-old admitted, though, that he was upset not even to make the bench for the first match of the qualifying campaign, a point at which he appeared to have been overtaken in the pecking order by both of his rivals.

"It was a big disappointment all right, but the others had done well and Mick wanted to stick with them. I didn't have much of an argument with that really. With Alan out of the team and me playing week in week out I knew I'd have a stronger claim and it was great to get back in for the Finland game and to keep a clean sheet."

It was probably his last clean sheet as Newcastle have suffered a dismal defensive run of late - 26 games without a clean sheet - but Given insists that while injuries and some disappointing team performances have played their part in the side's difficulties, he is happy with his own form.

So, too, is his international manager who said yesterday that he had been impressed with Given when he gave him his debut while still a teenager and that he remains as convinced as ever of the player's qualities. If things go to plan on Saturday and next Wednesday, the hope is there won't be any need for reminders of just what it was that helped him catch McCarthy's eye in the first place.