No early Keane decision

IRELAND’S manager Brian Kerr yesterday suggested that a decision on Roy Keane’s return to international duty may not be forthcoming for several weeks.

Kerr was once again subjected to queries relating to his meeting with Keane last week when he addressed the assembled press representatives in Glasgow yesterday. And again, he refused to be drawn. He was, however, quick to kill the rumour that he would be informed within two weeks of Keane's decision and said that newspaper reports linking that suggestion to him were wide of the mark.

He said: "As everybody in the world knows I had a meeting with Roy Keane in Manchester last week. But until we come to the end of the process I won't talk about it. I contributed one part to that, which was to have a meeting and in doing that, I believe I fulfilled my function."

Asked to put a time-scale on what he described as the "process" he said: "We have other matches after this one against Scotland and I would be happy even if it went a little longer than that." Kerr appeared to suggest that he would not pressurise Keane into making a decision before Ireland resume their European championship at the end of March. After playing Scotland, Ireland will play Georgia on March 30 and Albania on April 2 in the Championship and then they play a friendly at Lansdowne against Norway on April 30. Kerr was yesterday having to wrestle with the inevitable problem of players being forced to pull out of the fixture because of injuries. They lost Gary Kelly (Leeds), Mark Kennedy (Wolves) to add to the earlier withdrawals of Damien Duff (Blackburn) and Robbie Keane (Spurs).

Kelly played 90 minutes for Leeds against West Ham at Elland Road, but he is struggling with shin splints and had warned Kerr of his condition before he named the squad. Kennedy played for 90 minutes for promotion hopefuls Wolves in a surprise loss to bottom-of-the-table Brighton by 4-1 but is struggling against a hamstring problem. Kerr has more than enough players in a larger than usual squad, but he added one more yesterday when he invited Alan Maybury of Hearts to join the squad. Maybury, a polished full-back with Home Farm, who never got a break with Leeds, scored for Hearts in a 3-0 win over Kilmarnock at Tynecastle.

Kerr will know today whether any of the several Irish players in action with their clubs yesterday suffered setbacks, but early reports yesterday were promising in that respect. And he was quick to allow Rory Delap (Southampton) an extra day before he had to report, as his partner is expecting their first baby in the next 24 hours.

Kerr suggested that he will approach the match against Scotland in an aggressive sense when he said that it was not his intention to give everybody in his squad a run in what will be his first match in charge.

He said: "I have no intention of giving players a run; it is not in our format just to give everybody a run. Our work in training and in the match will give Chris (Hughton) and Noel (O'Reilly) and myself a good chance to see the players at first-hand."

He did, however, suggest in a roundabout way there would be many substitutions when he said: "We have to be aware of the needs of the clubs. I have no plan to give everybody a run, but we will see how the game develops."

Kerr was asked what his attitude to the team captaincy was Steve Staunton took over from Roy Keane and when he retired, Kenny Cunningham assumed the responsibility. He answered: "I have not thought about it. I have first of all to see who is available to me and when I know that I will think about the captaincy."

Scotland have shown an improvement under their German-born manager Berti Vogts in their most recent matches against Canada and Iceland, but they received some bad news yesterday when Rangers' Maurice Ross pulled out because of injury. Vogts' position was not improved recently when Dominic Matteo of Leeds announced his retirement from international football.

Kerr predicted a very difficult match for Ireland when he said: "Scotland have a very experienced midfield with Paul Lambert, Jackie McNamara and Christian Dailly in their squad. It will be a difficult match and one we both want to win."