ROY KEANE will not be under specific instructions to curb his competitive instincts if, as anticipated, he returns to the Republic of Ireland team against Iceland on November 10th.

Keane, recalled yesterday to a squad of 20, hasn't appeared in the national team since being sent off in the game against Russia at Lansdowne Road last March.

In the intervening period, he has encountered disciplinary problems at club level, most notably at Southampton last Saturday when he was sent off for a second bookable offence.

It has contrived to focus attention yet again on his temperament under pressure but McCarthy, who clashed with the Manchester United player earlier in the year, is prepared to go with the risk.

"Roy has been sent off once in my time with Ireland, he served his punishment and as far as I'm concerned, it's now history," he said.

"No manager sends out his players to get booked or worse, sent off. But every manager wants his players to be committed and competitive - if they weren't, he wouldn't select them in the first place.

"Anybody who watched our training sessions before the Macedonian game, will appreciate that I like my players to be competitive at all times and to attempt to put restrictions on Roy Keane's style, would almost certainly effect his game.

"He has been away for some time and it's just nice to have him back and available to play for the team."

The choice of those last few words may or may not, be significant as the Irish football public prepares to welcome back a man who has played just a handful of international games since the 1994 World Cup finals in the United States.

As anticipated there is no room in the squad for Paul McGrath, the Republic's most capped player, who was left out of the two earlier World Cup fixtures against Liechtenstein and FYR Macedonia because of a shortage of match practice.

McGrath's move from Aston Villa to Derby County has come too late to restart his Ireland career at this time. After watching him in the games against Newcastle and Liverpool, McCarthy reckons that the central defender is still only acquiring full match fitness.

"Paul would be the first to admit that he is still rusty after a five-month break away from the game and it showed when I watched him against Newcastle.

McGrath was always going to struggle to regain his place for a game in which the emphasis will again be on attack but depending on his club form over the next five months, the picture may be different when the qualifying programme resumes next April.

Ireland will then face difficult assignments in Macedonia and Romania in the space of four weeks, the type of games in which McCarthy will need all the experience he can muster to emerge unscathed.

The manager plans to make the trip to Birmingham next Saturday in the hope that Steve Staunton will be sufficiently recovered from a hamstring injury to return to Aston Villa's team against Nottingham Forest.

The decision to include him in the squad was based on favourable reports on his progress in training hut he still needs to prove his fitness in match conditions before winning his 65th cap.

Niall Quinn and Ray Houghton, both of whom were unavailable for the last game, are still recuperating from injuries hut there is at least, some consolation for another recent casualty, David Connolly.

Although Connolly was not considered fit enough for the senior game, he has been nominated in the squad for the European Under-21 championship meeting with Iceland, a fixture which has been switched to Dalymount Park on November 9th.

Two other senior internationals, Mark Kennedy and Gareth Farrelly are included in the Under-21 selection which features the Tottenham full back, Stephen Carr, now elevated to regular first team status at White Hart Lane.

Among those in the senior squad is John Aldridge whose eligibility had been called into question following the disclosure that he is not in possession of a current Irish passport.

Dismissing the speculation, McCarthy said: "Many of us who played for Ireland over the years, did have Irish passports but we were all qualified to hold one.

"FIFA may now have become more finicky on this matter but there is no question of John Aldridge or anybody else in the squad for that matter, not being properly qualified."