Carr and Ireland to miss San Marino clash

AS THE Irish squad gathered in Portmarnock yesterday ahead of Wednesday’s European Championship qualifier against Sam Marino, there was good and bad news for manager Steve Staunton from the north-east of England.

Despite threatening to do the opposite early in the week, Newcastle United manager Glenn Roeder cleared Shay Given to travel to Dublin, even though the goalkeeper didn’t play for his club on Saturday.

However, his Newcastle colleague Stephen Carr is once again ruled out, after limping off in the scoreless draw at Manchester City on Saturday.

Joining Carr, who has an ankle injury, on the missing list, will be Manchester City’s Stephen Ireland, who is out with what Staunton described as “a viral bug”.

According to the Irish manager, Leeds United’s Jonathan Douglas, Everton’s Lee Carsley and Wigan’s Kevin Kilbane are all carrying minor knocks but none is of sufficient concern to jeopardise their involvement on Wednesday night.

The Irish squad didn’t train yesterday, Staunton deciding that Sunday would be a “recovery day”.

Aiden McGeady, Steve Finnan, Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle were all expected to join the squad after yesterday’s games in the Premiership and SPL, with Staunton especially pleased to see the two strikers getting on the scoresheet in Reading’s 3-1 win over Spurs.

“It’s always nice when your strikers are scoring. It was a big boost for Reading — but we’ll have to pick Robbie up,” he said.

Meanwhile, Reading’s Shane Long and UCD goalkeeper Darren Quigley have been called up to the ‘B’ squad to play Scotland tomorrow night after five players — Preston’s Sean St Ledger, Ipswich Town’s Billy Clarke and Shane Supple, Bohemians’ Stephen Ward and Sunderland’s Daryl Murphy — were ruled out through injury. Derry City’s Kevin Deery is also out as his club require him for tonight’s eircom League game against Waterford.

‘B’ manager Pat Devlin confirmed Cardiff City’s Stephen McPhail would captain the side.

Meanwhile German coach Joachim Low said he rates Cyprus above the Republic of Ireland as opponents in Group D.

The Germans travel to Nicosia on Wednesday and, says Low: “Cyprus have already shown that with a 5-2 win over Ireland. Cyprus are our strongest opponents up until now, stronger than Ireland or Slovakia.”

Elsewhere the FAI has confirmed chief executive John Delaney has extended his contract through to 2012.