St Patrick's Athletic look certain to be without at least two of the three players injured in Friday night's league game against Bohemians for this weekend's FAI Cup final.

First team regulars Charles Mbabazi Livingstone and Karim El Khebir are facing the possibility of long lay-offs.

There was particular concern at the club last night over the condition of Mbabazi, the 24-year-old Ugandan international who collapsed early in the game suffering from chest pains.

The player, though apparently well, is continuing to undergo tests at St James's Hospital, and it remains unclear whether the problem might turn out to be career threatening.

El Khebir, meanwhile, will fly to France tomorrow to see the specialist who operated on his knee several years ago after the full back took a bad knock to the joint in a tackle by Jason McGuinness during the second half.

Initially there were fears that El Khebir, too, might have sustained more serious injuries, with the player complaining of back and neck problems while being taken to hospital. But tests have since suggested the knee is the most significant difficulty, although it will be another few days before it becomes clear just how severe it really is.

St Patrick's manager Eamonn Collins insists he has not given up hope of Keith Fahey being fit in time to play some part in Sunday's meeting with Longford Town at Lansdowne Road but, after the player burst a blood vessel in his foot on Friday, he too is ruled out of this evening's game against Cork and considered doubtful for the weekend.

"Of the three of them," said Collins, "he's the one who has some sort of chance of making it, but we'll have to see how it goes. Obviously we're concerned about them all in different ways and we'll have to wait and see what happens - the next 24 hours will hopefully provide a few clues as to how things are going to turn out and hopefully they'll bring some good news."

In the absence of the three injured players, Keith Foy, Anthony Murphy and Gerard Quinn (a brother of Ireland international Alan) all come into the reckoning for this evening's game against a Cork City side looking to build on Friday's win in Drogheda.

The southerners will once again be without John O'Flynn, however, while Conor O'Grady is also ruled out and former St Patrick's player Kevin Doyle is doubtful.

In the evening's other game, league leaders Shelbourne welcome Owen Heary and Kevin Doherty back from suspension, while David Crawley is set to return after a long lay-off.

Waterford are without suspended midfielder Wayne Fitzgerald, while John Frost faces a late fitness test on a hamstring problem.

Shamrock Rovers officials last night maintained they have yet to receive official confirmation that one of the club's players has tested positive for a banned substance in a random test carried out last month. Results of tests on the player's B sample are awaited and sources at the club said that no action would be taken until the fact that an offence had been committed is confirmed. It was suggested, however, that in the event the B sample is found to contain the same substance, believed to be traces of a recreational drug, the club's reaction is likely to reflect what is said to be a firm policy against any sort of drug use.

Brian Kerr has said that an invitation to bring an Ireland B team to Portugal for a tournament is January is being considered. Ireland have not played any internationals at this level for nearly five years, but the opportunity to put together a squad made up of fringe players would provide the senior team boss with a chance to assess his options in the wake of his side's elimination last week from the European Championships.