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."