Kerr hopes for Finnan miracle cure

BRIAN KERR will wait until later today at the earliest before making a final decision on the availability of Steve Finnan for tomorrow’s World Cup game against Israel at Lansdowne Road.

However, the manager admitted yesterday that the Liverpool player's condition remains "extremely doubtful", as he struggles back in Liverpool to recover from the thigh injury which he aggravated in the Champions' League final.

There was better news regarding Gary Doherty, who could be called into action off the bench tomorrow, as an MRI scan conducted yesterday revealed no significant injury to the knee he jarred in training on Wednesday. "We are hopeful that he will be fit to be considered for selection on Saturday," said Kerr, after a squad training session at Malahide.