Ireland Given boost as Kerr reports clean bill of health

A LONG day for the Irish squad which travelled to Israel yesterday was made longer for goalkeeper Shay Given, who rose at dawn to undergo a scan on his injured hip.

"He has a very slight strain which, if you weren't all here, we might say he has a pain in his arse," said manager Brian Kerr at a morning conference in the team hotel in Portmarnock.

"There was slight bleeding that caused concern on Saturday but nothing a couple of days' rest won't fix."