PAUL McGRATH, at the centre of so much speculation in recent weeks, has yet to be told if there is a place for him in Derby County's plans for next season.

Even with their Premiership status apparently secured ahead of this evening's home game against Nottingham Forest, Jim Smith, Derby's manager, is not prepared to elaborate on his long term strategy.

"Several matters have still to be decided at the club and obviously, one of them is whether Paul will be offered a new contract," he said.

"That is something which must be worked out between the player and me and in the interests of both of us, it has to be sooner rather than later."

Smith, who paid Aston Villa £150,000 to bring the defender to Derby on a short contract, in the hope of keeping the club in the premier grade, repeated an earlier statement that the player would not be on trial in the last two games in their current programme.

Yet, McGrath's decision not to push for selection in the Republic of Ireland squad going to Romania, in talks with Mick McCarthy last week, was un-questionably influenced by his desire to play in Derby's last Premiership game against Coventry, just three days after the World Cup fixture.

McGrath is included in the squad for this evening's meeting with Nottingham Forest but his chances of getting into the team are dependent, in part, on whether he suffers a reaction to a recent Achilles tendon problem.

Another Ireland player with contractual problems is the Watford forward, David Connolly, one of those recalled by McCarthy for World Cup duty in Bucharest after an absence of almost a year from the national team.

Connolly, whose current agreement with the London club expires at the end of the season, is still understood to be in dispute with manager Kenny Jackett after several disagreements in recent months.

Because of those difficulties, he has not been selected for some of the club's recent games and Jackett has still to confirm if the Irishman will be in his side to meet Chesterfield tomorrow evening.

If he isn't, it may well rule him out of contention for a place in the starting line up at Bucharest where McCarthy is likely to be attracted by the option of playing Keith O'Neill alongside Tony Cascarino.