Soccer:There's good news and there's bad news. After welcoming Richard Dunne and Darron Gibson back into his squad for the Euro 2012 qualifier against Macedonia, Giovanni Trapattoni has now lost Leon Best to injury.
Best may not be a frontliner, so to speak, but his form of late and the fitness concerns surrounding captain Robbie Keane made him a candidate for an impact role off the bench.
However, the Toon striker has failed to recover from the ankle complaint that kept him out of Newcastle’s defeat to Stoke last weekend and has returned to his club, where he is also due to be “disciplined” after an ill-timed night on the town with Irish exile Stephen Ireland.
It could have been much worse. The news that Dunne appears to have recovered from a shoulder injury is far more significant, given the absence of John O'Shea (hamstring) and Shay Given (shoulder) from Ireland's defence.
Dunne’s relationship with his club is also strained after much publicised run-ins with Gerard Houllier and his management team, but Trapattoni is concerned only with his availability for the fifth match of the qualifiers and, to that end, the news is positive.
“Richard arrived in last night and played very, very well in training, so I think the problem is finished,” assistant manager Marco Tardelli told reporters this afternoon after training in Malahide’s Gannon Park.
Manchester United’s Gibson also joined late after getting treatment for a toe injury. “I think he is okay,” was the positive, if not wholly reassuring, assessment from Tardelli.
Winger Damien Duff sat out the session to allow a minor Achilles inflammation time to recede, but he did some work in the gym, while Seán St Ledger, who picked up a knock in a collision with fellow defender Ciaran Clarke yesterday, also took the morning off.
Their absence was precautionary and both are expected to be fit for Saturday.
With goalkeeper Given out injured, Tardelli was this afternoon quick to back his deputy Keiren Westwood ahead of the game.
“I think the goalkeeper is very good. Obviously Shay Given is a very good player. Westwood is younger but he has good experience.”
Ireland are second in Group B, two points behind Russia and ahead of Armenia and Slovakia on goal difference. A win over Andorra and a point away to Armenia sees Macedonia three points behind the chasing trio.
“I have seen many DVDs where they play with 10 players close to the penalty box but they are good and it will be a difficult game,” said Tardelli, before insisting Ireland are better prepared now to face a more crowded midfield than they were when beaten 3-2 at home to Russia in October.
