Sources in Ireland close to Damien Duff have cautioned that it is too soon to assess the long-term implications of the apparently serious injury he suffered at the weekend while playing in the Australian A-League.

Speculation mounts in Melbourne that Damien Duff’s Australian adventure is over after an unusual double injury in Melbourne City’s draw with Wellington on Saturday.

When lowly Yeovil Town seek to rekindle FA Cup romance tomorrow by plotting Manchester United’s downfall, their playmaker Sam Foley will have international ambitions with Ireland stored in his mind.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has introduced an Irish dimension to his vision for the club by personally involving himself in the successful pursuit of 14-year-old Dubliner Glen McAuley.

Three years on from a fruitless effort to recruit Kevin Doyle for Tottenham, Harry Redknapp yesterday succeeded at the second attempt by bringing the Ireland striker to Queen’s Park Rangers on loan.

Robbie Keane says joining Everton would be the right move for Aiden McGeady.

“It was tremendous, a bit of a fairytale.”

Ireland caretaker manager Noel King has revealed he hoped to name Stephen Ireland in his first squad but, having established contact with the player, says he fully understands his reasons for postponing a return to international duty.

A hat-trick from Craig Bryson saw swaggering Derby past Millwall as they slotted five goals past Galway-born David Forde.

Former Ireland manager Brian Kerr believes Roy Keane has strong credentials to become Giovanni Trapattoni’s successor.

Two years to the day from ‘the miracle of Moscow’ Richard Dunne will complete another miraculous recovery by playing against Sweden in Friday’s World Cup qualifier at the Aviva Stadium.

Giovanni Trapattoni will be counting them all out and trusting he can count them all back in again this weekend.

Andy Keogh took to Twitter yesterday to express his dismay with Giovanni Trapattoni for not letting him know he was dropped from the squad for next month’s World Cup qualifiers.

Sheff Wed 2 Millwall 2

An opportunistic second-half strike from Republic of Ireland striker Andy Keogh - made possible by a howler from visiting goalkeeper Ross Worner - and a Martyn Woolford effort ensured Millwall progressed to the Capital One Cup second round with a 2-1 victory over AFC Wimbledon.

On trial for his club and now on trial for his country —that’s the situation Richard Dunne finds himself in on the eve of what would appear to be a make or break season for the defender.

Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has not included defenders Richard Dunne or Richard Stearman in a provisional 26-man squad to face Wales in an August friendly.

Giovanni Trapattoni is realistic about his side’s slim chances but that hasn’t stopped him sending out a youthful midfield to take on the might of Spain at Yankee Stadium at 8pm local time tonight (1am Irish time).

John O’ Shea has withdrawn from the Republic of Ireland squad to face Spain in New York on Tuesday following the death of his uncle.

Having missed the squad session on the pitch, David Forde emerged from the gym at Gannon Park yesterday sporting a smile as sunny as the weather.

Wes Hoolahan was handed a rare start as Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni ran the rule over his squad players in evening’s friendly clash with Georgia.

Giovanni Trapattoni will complete a circle of sorts when he sends his new-look team out against Georgia tomorrow evening.

Shane Long will captain the Republic of Ireland in tomorrow’s friendly clash with Georgia.

Andy Keogh has admitted that he was angry at missing out on Euro 2012 but says the experience has only reinforced his determination to make it to Brazil 2014 as part of the Irish squad.

As revealed by Keith Andrews in his column in this newspaper on Saturday, the Bolton Wanderers midfielder is among a group of current and former Irish internationals who are back in Dublin this week taking their first formal steps on a road that could lead to a career in management.

Captain Robbie Keane will be fit to lead the Republic of Ireland into friendly battle with England at Wembley.

Millwall 0 Wigan 2

Millwall 0 Wigan 2

FA CUP SEMI-FINAL: Wigan v Millwall

Millwall 0 Ipswich 0

Not for the first time, confusion ruled supreme at Giovanni Trapattoni’s pre-match press conference at the Friends Arena this afternoon.

Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has provisionally included Robbie Brady in the team to play Sweden in the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup Qualifier in Sweden tomorrow.

With tomorrow night’s game already being billed as Ireland versus Zlatan Ibrahimović, we have decided to pit him against our nation and see who comes out on top.

You might be tempted to call it accentuating the positive or seeing the glass half-full or even just standard managerial spin but, for a man deemed to be facing a make or break brace of games, there’s no getting away from the fact Giovanni Trapattoni is radiating confidence and good vibes in the run-up to Ireland’s World Cup qualifiers away to Sweden on Friday and at home to Austria the following Tuesday.

Along with his 74th birthday cake, Giovanni Trapattoni had plenty of food for thought to digest as St Patrick’s Day in Malahide saw Irish preparations for the World Cup double-header against Sweden and Austria begin, slowly, to swing into action.

Aiden McGeady has been ruled out of the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup qualifying matches against Sweden and Austria due to injury.

Both Millwall and Blackburn remain in this season’s FA Cup after grinding out a mediocre goalless draw in their quarter-final clash at the New Den this afternoon.

Luton 0 Millwall 3

Striker Conor Sammon will be handed a chance to stake his claim for a role in the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup qualifying campaign with a senior debut against Poland tonight.

Bolton 1 Millwall 1

Millwall 1 Leicester 0

Shane Long feels it would be 'disrespectful' to say he deserves a starting place in the Republic of Ireland team despite being left frustrated on the bench for long spells of a turbulent year for the national side.

Ipswich Town 3 Millwall 0

Ireland international striker Andy Keogh piled the pressure on his former employers and under-fire manager Stale Solbakken as in-form Millwall extended their unbeaten run to 12 games with a victory over Wolves.