MICK MCCARTHY was keeping his counsel yesterday after learning that David Connolly, the Watford forward, is out of the start of the Republic of Ireland's World Cup programme in Liechtenstein on Saturday.

Connolly withdrew after tearing a hamstring in Watford's 2-0 defeat by Millwall at the weekend.

"I'm disappointed but probably not half as disappointed as the lad himself," said McCarthy. "A World Cup game is a big date for any 19 year old and he was in my thoughts for Saturday."

For Connolly, the thought of having to pass up the chance of adding to the two goals he scored in the end of season programme, is galling.

I scored in Watford's first competitive game against Bournemouth, made another goal and fancied my chances of getting on the scoresheet again until my hamstring went against Millwall," he said.

"To know that I would, have been in the 20 players going to Liechtenstein makes it even worse but I'll just have to roll up my sleeves and make sure that if the chance comes again, I'm ready."

On the question of the revised front line options available to him in the wake of Connolly's withdrawal, the manager, was predictably mute. But on one point, at least, he was forthcoming. Like Jack Charlton he doesn't see many complementary qualities in a partnership of Niall Quinn and Tony Cascarino.

"Essentially, they are the same type of player, people who are at their best competing in the air. Picking winning teams is largely about getting players to complement each other and in this instance, the styles are very similar."

Quinn, in particular, will have unpleasant memories of the last game in Vaduz where his early misses established the mood of a day when even the basics were made to look difficult and at least a dozen good chances got away on the Irish.

At that point, however, his relationship with Manchester City had already begun to turn sour, the prologue to an unhappy season in which club and player struggled in the darker regions of the FA Premiership.

Since then, of course, he has been reunited with one of his old managers, Peter Reid at Sunderland, and the move has had a galvanic effect on a career which only a couple of months ago, appeared to be going nowhere.

The measure of Cascarino's current form is that in spite of an influx of new talent to Marseilles on their return to the Premier Division in France, he is still commanding a regular first team place.

It all looked so different at the end of last season when Marseilles confirmed that they were engaged in discussions for the transfer of the big striker but happily, from the Irishman's viewpoint, the deal did not go through.

McCarthy had good news yesterday of Ray Houghton, the Crystal Palace midfielder who took part in a two hour training session at Clonshaugh without any reaction to the hamstring problem which affected him at the weekend.

Houghton made a big impression on the new manager with the quality of his performance in April against the Czech Republic in Prague and while it is difficult to see how he and Jason McAteer can both be accommodated in the same team, his chances are by no means forlorn.

Among the arrivals in Dublin yesterday were Denis Irwin and Jeff Kenna who figured on opposite sides in Manchester United's 2-2 draw with Blackburn on Sunday. Both are likely to start in Liechtenstein, although it remains to be seen where they will be deployed.

Moving in the opposite direction was Millwall's Dave Savage who was given permission to return to his club after being told that he wasn't in the 20 players going to Vaduz.

Liam O'Brien, the Tranmere midfielder, was also released to play in tonight's game against Port Vale but after pulling up in training yesterday with a muscular injury, it remains to be seen if he will be fit to play.

Ian Evans, the Under 21 team manager, has announced an interesting, line up for tonight's meeting with Home Farm Everton at Whitehall, a central part of his preparations for the start of the European Under 22 championship against Macedonia on October 8th.

It includes the two Coventry players, Barry Prendiville and Gavin O'Toole alongside Cork's Gareth Cronin in defence with the former Bohemians player, Brendan Markey joining Declan Perkins in the front line.

. Glenn Hoddle has promised Manchester United he will shield and protect David Beckham. But the new England manager insists he would be right to give him his World Cup chance in Moldova next Sunday, despite Old Trafford worries that too much is happening too soon for the 21 year old.