Colin Lee of Wolves yesterday became the first club manager to acknowledge the implications of the Republic of Ireland's involvement in the World Under-20 Championship in Nigeria in April.

Stating that he would have to replace Robbie Keane for six games during the championship, Lee said that clubs had no right of redress.

"It's a FIFA tournament, so the Republic are within their rights to call up Robbie," he said. "There is nothing we can do about it, there is no right of appeal."

Keane, Wolves's top scorer with 14 goals this season, will miss the games against Grimsby, Portsmouth, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace in addition to the local derbies with Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion.

Lee's dilemma will be shared by many other English managers during the championship, which runs from April 3rd to 24th. Also certain of selection in the Irish squad are Damien Duff (Blackburn), Richard Dunne (Everton), Barry Quinn (Coventry), Gary Doherty (Luton) and the Leeds pair Alan Maybury and Stephen McPhail.

It will do nothing to endear Brian Kerr to managers like David O'Leary, Brian Kidd and Gordon Strachan, but the Ireland under-20 manager will not allow that to interfere with his plans for a championship in which Ireland finished third in Malaysia in 1997.

"FIFA regard this championship as second only in importance to the World Cup," he said. "We've qualified for Nigeria and I want my best players with me when I go there. The opportunity of playing in world finals is something that is given only to the few and I trust that club managers will appreciate that point."