Cracked ribs rule Keane out of World Cup qualifiers

ROY KEANE is out of the Republic of Ireland’s first two World Cup qualifiers with cracked ribs.

The influential Man Utd midfielder will be out of action for at least three weeks, and will miss Ireland’s opening Group 4 ties at home to Cyprus on Saturday week and away to Switzerland the following Wednesday.

With Charlton’s Matt Holland also struggling with injury, Republic manager Brian Kerr is facing a central midfield dilemma, but he was unaware of the problem when he spoke at an FAI function in Dublin yesterday.