ROY KEANE is expected to be out of football for a minimum period of three weeks after he undergoes an operation on his knee tomorrow. It means that he will miss the Republic of Ireland's opening World Cup assignment in Liechtenstein a week on Saturday, in addition to key fixtures for Manchester United in the FA Premiership.
The latest in a long line of injury problems for the Irishman was announced after he had shared in his club's 3-0 win over Wimbledon on Saturday He finished the game without any apparent distress.
The decision to hospitalise him had been taken earlier, however, and was conveyed to Mick McCarthy late on Friday evening.
"I was informed of Roy's problem in a telephone conversation with Alex Ferguson and my initial reaction was one of deep disappointment," said McCarthy.
"Everybody thought he had put his injury troubles behind him but it seems that he went and damaged his knee in the recent Umbro game against Notts Forest."
"I'm very sorry for the player and, of course, I'm sorry that he will not be with us in Liechtenstein. But, hopefully, this will be the end of his troubles and he will play in the remainder of our World Cup games".
The injury is unrelated to the problem which fragmented his programme at club and international level last year when he twice underwent hernia operations.
"Roy has been having problems with his knee and it was decided that it would be better for him to go into hospital and have it cleaned up, rather than play on and aggravate the damage.
"It's a blow to the club but providing there are no complications I would expect to have him back in the side for the first of our games in the Champions League."
"Mick McCarthy, too, will be disappointed. Roy had a long chat with him last week and I think they cleared up a few misunderstandings. The lad was looking forward to playing for Ireland again".
It fits a pattern of a long series of disappointments for country and player. Since filling an influential role in the 1994 World Cup finals. Keane has played only four games for Ireland - and finished only two of them.
He was withdrawn because of an injury in the 4-0 win over Northern Ireland at Windsor Park in November, 1994 and was sent off during McCarthy's first game in charge against Russia at Lansdowne Road last March.
"All that is in the past," says McCarthy. "What matters now is that he gets fit again as soon as possible and back to the form which makes him one of the best players in Britain."
