No place for Shay Given in Ireland squad

Newcastle United's Rob Elliot is the only uncapped player included in Martin O'Neill's Republic of Ireland squad for next month's friendly with Serbia, but there is no place for Shan Given in the 29-man panel.

Magpies goalkeeper Elliot, who was brought into the squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Germany and Kazakhstan late last year, has been named alongside David Forde and Darren Randolph.

Given’s successful loan spell with Middlesbrough had prompted speculation he might return to the international but the 37-year-old has now returned to parent club Aston Villa and that appears to have ended any chance of a comeback for now, at least.

O’Neill told reporters this morning that he had considered bringing in the veteran goalkeeper, but with the likelihood of him seeing little or no action at Villa over the coming weeks had decided against it.

“I’ve spoke to Shay. Essentially he’s gone out on loan and got his enthusiasm back for the game,” O’Neill explained. “He’s playing at the moment, but that loan will end at the weekend so there’s a decision to be made. He enjoyed his time at Middlesbrough

“When (Ireland) games come around I want to be playing the best players and the ones in form for their teams at the time, so he has a choice to make.”

Robbie Keane, who underwent surgery on an Achilles injury in November, has been left out of O'Neill's plans, with the manager allowing him to miss the clash in favour of turning out for club side LA Galaxy in their first MLS game of the season three days later.

In his absence, Daryl Murphy, who has worked with assistant manager Roy Keane at both Sunderland and Ipswich and been capped eight times, comes back into the fold.

Explaining Keane’s absence, O’Neill said: “I met up with the (LA Galaxy) manager Bruce Arena in January. He’s the operation on his Achilles and he’s feeling terrific, says he wished he had it done a long time ago. It’s made him feel younger.

“But I spoke to Bruce and we agreed to leave him, let him get on with it. I’ll monitor him and hopefully we’ll have him available for the summer games.

“Robbie’s happy with that.

Of Murphy, O’Neill hadded: “I watched Murphy recently and thought he did well. I spoke to Mick (Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy) and he’s been very happy with him, so I thought if Robbie’s not involved let’s have him in.”

O’Neill confirmed that friendly games against Turkey and Italy are all but arranged, with the former due in Dublin on May 25th and the Azzurri pencilled in for a meeting in London six days later.

However, Sunday’s draw for the Euro 2016 qualifiers may change all that.

“We’ve got the Turkey game and a good strong chance about Italy (now almost certainly in London) but both of those teams, you could end up getting them in the Euro draw.

“You have to make plans, because you might not get them.”

It has been widely reported that a game against Portugal is then scheduled for June 10th in New York, but the FAI has yet to confirm this and O’Neill suggested today it was yet to be finalised because of concerns over burnout at the end of the season.

“Now that we have those two games, I would like a third one but I’m aware of the fact that there would only be a 10-day break and you might find players going back to their clubs and the summer was no use to them.

“I would have 10 friendly games if possible but you have to think of the players.”

Republic of Ireland squad

Goalkeepers: David Forde (Millwall), Darren Randolph (Birmingham), Rob Elliot (Newcastle)

Defenders: Richard Keogh (Derby County), Marc Wilson (Stoke City), Seamus Coleman (Everton), John O'Shea (Sunderland), Alex Pearce (Reading), Stephen Kelly (Reading), Damien Delaney (Crystal Palace), Richard Dunne (QPR), Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa), Stephen Ward (Brighton)

Midfielders: James McCarthy (Everton), Glenn Whelan (Stoke City), Paul Green (Ipswich Town), Andy Reid (Nottingham Forest), Aiden McGeady (Everton), Anthony Pilkington (Norwich City), James McClean (Wigan), Stephen Quinn (Hull), David Meyler (Hull), Wes Hoolahan (Norwich)

Strikers: Shane Long (Hull), Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town), Jon Walters (Stoke City), Kevin Doyle (QPR), Anthony Stokes (Celtic) Simon Cox (Nottingham Forest)