Irish number one in fitness battle for Germany qualifier

IT MIGHT be a bit premature to suggest that Shay Given’s back is up against the wall, but with just nine days to go to Ireland’s European Championship game against Germany in Stuttgart, Ireland’s number one admits he is struggling with the back injury which has ruled him out of Newcastle United’s UEFA Cup game against FK Ventspils tonight.

It’s the same injury which forced Given to withdraw from Ireland’s squad for the game against Holland and, although he played for Newcastle United in their opening Premiership victory over Wigan two days later, his involvement was only made possible through a pain-killing injection.

Given says that, if the injury hasn’t fully cleared up, he would be prepared to have another injection to get him through the German game but, ideally, he would hope that the problem has settled down by then. In the meantime, he is doing all he can to get himself fit for Newcastle’s game against Aston Villa on Sunday — and that means swapping the training ground for the treatment table this week and trying everything from ultrasound to acupuncture.