Mick McCarthy yesterday provided a major talking point by preferring David Connolly to Keith O'Neill in his squad of 23 players for the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2000 play-off games against Turkey.

Connolly survives as front-line cover for Robbie Keane in a panel which includes Rory Delap, the versatile Derby County player who has failed to figure in any of Ireland's eight earlier games in this competition.

Jason McAteer, as anticipated, is one of eight players dropped from the preliminary squad, but his Blackburn team-mate Damien Duff managed to survive, largely because McCarthy gave himself the cushion of increasing the squad from 22 to 23.

He justifies this on the basis that Mark Kinsella is unavailable for the first of the Turkish games at Lansdowne Road on November 13th after receiving a second yellow card in the 1-1 draw with Macedonia on October 9th.

The Charlton player is expected to regain his place in central midfield for the second leg of the tie.

If McCarthy has managed to skirt controversy in most of his team selections to date, there was no avoiding it this time. In opting for Connolly he has laid himself open to charges of unjustified loyalty to a player who is currently playing with Feyenoord's junior club, Excelsior, in Holland.

The Ireland manager went to watch Connolly earlier this month and was rewarded by seeing him score, but missed out on his spectacular achievement the following week when he was credited with a hat-trick.

O'Neill, by contrast, has not scored in 10 appearances for Middlesbrough this season. That has to be measured against the fact that he is currently playing football at a higher level.

O'Neill's biggest problem is his versatility, for while he has made the bulk of his Ireland appearances as a front-line player, McCarthy tends to the view that he is primarily a left-sided midfielder. And with three of them, Mark Kennedy, Kevin Kilbane and Duff, already in the squad, despite playing in the relative obscurity of the English first division, there was no room for him there.

"The bottom line is that I consider David a better centre forward than Keith and that was the judgment I had to make in this instance," said McCarthy. "It was a close call, but it's one that I stand over."

More popular, one suspects, will be the recall of Delap. All three of his caps have been gained as a substitute - the last of them in the scoreless draw with Mexico 18 months ago - but that statistic ought not disguise the potential of a player who has proved himself on one of the biggest stages of all in the Premiership.

Almost certainly, McCarthy is looking to Alan McLoughlin to replace Kinsella as Roy Keane's partner in central midfield and judged on his squad selection for the game in Macedonia, Matt Holland of Ipswich is also ahead of Delap in the pecking order in the middle line. Yet, many will see in the Derby player's selection a useful option on the bench.

Now that McAteer has been discarded, Delap's primary mission will be to provide cover for Gary Kelly on the right side of midfield. He is also capable of playing at full back, but with Stephen Carr and Ian Harte available to understudy Denis Irwin and Steve Staunton, this option is unlikely to be utilised.

Given that he has made only three brief appearances as a substitute for Blackburn this season, McAteer will scarcely be surprised to find himself surplus to requirements. His challenge now is to re-establish himself at Ewood Park.

Duff has also suffered in Blackburn's relegation from the Premiership, so he will be relieved to find his name among the chosen 23, even if he has little realistic chance of getting into the side ahead of either Kennedy or Kilbane on this occasion.

Phil Babb was another senior player thought to be at high risk, the more so since Paul Butler of Sunderland was added to the original squad of 30 last week after establishing his credentials to represent Ireland.

As it transpired, the new threat presented by Butler ended even before McCarthy had to make his choice. The Sunderland player picked up an injury in their 2-1 win over Tottenham last Sunday and will be under treatment for at least a fortnight.

It means that Babb, yet to play in Liverpool's first team this season, will again provide the backup for Kenny Cunningham and Gary Breen in the centre of the defence, although the manager can also deploy Harte there if necessary.

"The challenge, as ever, in naming a squad was to ensure that we are covered in every position and I think this selection meets that criterion," said McCarthy. "Additionally, the inclusion of utility players like Delap and Harte broadens our options further."

In addition to O'Neill, McAteer and Butler, Shay Given, Jeff Kenna, Graham Kavanagh, Gareth Whalley and David Kelly are deleted from the original squad.