DAVE SAVAGE, the Millwall midfieid player, has been called in to the Republic of Ireland's squad for next Wednesday's World Cup meeting with Liechtenstein at Lansdowne Road.
He gets the call up following the withdrawal of Niall Quinn who is to have a cartilage operation.
For Savage, it is a welcome chance after being brought back for the game in Romania a fortnight ago and then dropped when Mick McCarthy revised his squad to facilitate Alan McLoughlin's return from suspension.
The choice of a midfielder to replace a specialist striker is explained by McCarthy's insistence that Liverpool's Mark Kennedy gives him the option of an extra forward to complement Tony Cascarino, David Connolly, David Kelly and Jon Goodman.
Kennedy, whose 10 senior international caps have all been won on the left side of midfield, has been playing up front for the under-21 team this season.
Kennedy played for Liverpool's reserves last night and is due to join up with the international squad tomorrow.
Two other members of the squad still actively involved at club level are Ray Houghton and Alan Kelly, both of whom will be in action in the return games of the First Division play off ties this evening.
Houghton is the happier of the two after helping Crystal Palace into a 3-1 lead, to sustain them for their trip to Wolverhampton but Kelly is the first to admit that after a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Ipswich on Sunday, Sheffield United will be doing well to qualify for the final play off.
McCarthy confirmed yesterday that there has been no word from Manchester United to suggest that Roy Keane's recovery from an ankle injury is proving difficult and to that extent, he is expected to be at the opening training session on Saturday.
Likewise, Gary Kelly, who made a gratifying return to the team against Romania in Bucharest, is also certain to travel after reporting no reaction to a recent knock in Leeds United's 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough on Sunday.
The FAI announced yesterday that schoolchildren under 16 will be admitted free to the second leg of Ireland's European under-18 championship tie against Norway at Tolka Park next Tuesday evening.
A 2-1 victory in the opening instalment of the tie in Norway last week, has installed Brian Kerr's team among the favourites to reach the finals which, this year, will be staged in Iceland.
