Quinn facing an anxious wait

An international season that started last September in Amsterdam with doubts about Ireland's ability to cope at the back in the temporary absence of their inspirational leader, Kenny Cunningham, ended on Wednesday in Tallinn with a major question mark over whether its attack will have to permanently adapt after the summer to life without another of the team's leaders.

At the start of the campaign it seemed that Robbie Keane's continuing development into a world class striker would provide an added lease of life to Niall Quinn's international career. As he returned home to the north-east of England last night, though, the 34-year-old conceded that there is a very real possibility that he will have to call it a day before the return match against the Dutch in September.

Over the next six weeks the striker intends to rest completely in order to allow a back injury, that has repeatedly troubled him since Christmas, some time to repair itself. Quinn is hopeful but unsure about how much it will improve but he will have a much better idea of what the future holds then.

"I might be back in six weeks feeling as right as rain," remarked the Sunderland striker who has been told by Peter Reid to take whatever time he needs over the summer. "I mean I've come back from two cruciates after being written off each time, so nothing is certain with these things. I've promised Mick I'll give it another shot, though, so I'll do everything in my power to get right again after which I'll be guided to a large extent by what he wants me to do."

Quinn admits he doesn't know yet whether his back problem will finally force him to hang up his boots but privately he has said that he would retire rather than undergo surgery aimed at rectifying the problem. McCarthy confirmed yesterday that he is hoping that it doesn't come to that, remarking: "I hope it all works out, for his sake as much as anything else. I wouldn't like to see it get to the stage where he would have to have an operation."

At this stage the Ireland manager would probably settle for Quinn being available for the remaining two or four games of this qualifying campaign with anything more than that being seen as a considerable bonus. While refusing to concede top spot to the Portuguese yesterday McCarthy makes no bones about feeling that they are likely to finish first and suggested that he sees the play-offs as Ireland's best hope of making it to Asia next summer.

In the event the Irish do qualify it seems likely that Gary Doherty, who will hopefully have benefited from another season of Premiership football by then, will play a more central role in the Irish attack. Notwithstanding the arrival on the scene of Clinton Morrison, he and Keane look set to form the basis of McCarthy's plans, with the Ireland manager having provided an indication of his faith is his other striking options in Tallinn by selecting Damien Duff - three goals in 39 club appearances this season and none in 19 previous internationals - ahead of David Connolly to replace the unfit Keane.

Even before being dropped the other night, however, there was concern over Robbie Keane's dip in form with the Leeds striker having scored just once for Ireland this season, a considerable turnabout given his consistently productive displays up to and including the game in Holland.

Keane's goal that night is, in fact, the only goal scored by a striker since last summer with 20 being scored by players in other areas of the pitch including three apiece from Roy Keane and Matt Holland.

Quinn, of course, has not scored at all despite featuring for at least part of five of the nine games Ireland have played this season. The day is certainly approaching when even fully fit his place would be lost to Doherty, a point emphasised by the striker yesterday when he said that he saw his role as, "helping to bring Gary through rather than keeping him out of the team". McCarthy, no doubt, would prefer the tutoring to continue for a while.