Carr set to miss summer qualifiers

IRELAND manager Brian Kerr may be without the services of defender Stephen Carr for the next three World Cup qualifiers due to injury.

Newcastle manager Graeme Souness admitted yesterday that the former Spurs player may be forced to travel to the US for surgery to repair a baffling knee problem.

Carr has played just 15 times since his summer move from White Hart Lane last August with his most recent appearance coming in the 3-1 defeat to Manchester United in November.

Souness said: “I don’t think it is career threatening but my feeling is we will need to operate on Stephen and it is a serious enough operation to keep him out of action for the rest of the season.

“Hopefully we can get him back onto the pitch in August.

“Players must feel confident with what the medical people say, but we will accommodate him if he feels a visit to Dr Richard Steadman is what is required.

“It’s desperately bad news for Stephen, but we just hope the operation does the trick.

“We’ve been blighted by injuries this season and this is a blow for Stephen.”

The news also represents a major blow to Ireland, with three World Cup qualifiers before the middle of June. Carr has been first-choice right full-back since Kerr’s appointment as senior manager two years ago.

Fortunately, Kerr is well-served in the position at present - Steve Finnan of Liverpool would be a reliable deputy, while Spurs’ Irish under-21 captain Stephen Kelly has made several appearances for the London club recently.

Meanwhile Everton boss David Moyes hailed the impact made by Kevin Kilbane just days after losing another influential midfielder in Thomas Gravesen.

If Moyes was looking for a player to fill the boots vacated by Gravesen in the wake of his surprise e3.45m move to Real Madrid, then Kilbane picked up the gauntlet.

The former Sunderland player overshadowed Middlesbrough’s own left-wing inspiration in Stewart Downing with a performance that was full of drive, energy and quality crosses in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at the Riverside.

“Kevin was outstanding, and he has been for Everton ever since he left these parts,” said Moyes.

“I thought he was as good as Downing can be for Middlesbrough. He just had a top game.

“He can play in the middle, and we toyed with that for this game, but we decided not to do so.

“Now and again we might play him in there.

“He did go into the middle of the park late in the game, and even then he burst through people. He just had a top game.”