Republic’s defensive crisis mounts for Givens

CARETAKER manager Don Givens is having to cope with a defensive crisis ahead of Saturday’s Euro 2008 qualifier against Wales.

After the Irish squad trained at the Cwmbran Stadium close to their Celtic Manor base yesterday, Givens confirmed that Richard Dunne, Stephen Kelly and Andy O’Brien have all had to withdraw through injury.

While Dunne (calf) and Kelly (knee) had been rated doubtful since the weekend, the news of Andy O’Brien’s withdrawal came as a surprise. After a year ininternational exile, the veteran defender couldn’t make the games against Germany and Cyprus because of a kidney problem, and now he misses the chance to return against Wales after Bolton revealed that he will undergo surgery on his nose today to help correct a breathing problem.

The caretaker boss will have to fill some significant defensive holes in his squad and has called up Celtic’s Darren O’Dea and Ipswich’sAlex Bruce to help him do so.

Better news for Givens is that Shay Given, an early doubt with a groin strain, should be linking up with the squad today, aftertraining yesterday at Newcastle.

Similarly, JonathanDouglas, who was playing for Leeds last night, isexpected in Wales today.

Meanwhile, Irish striker Caleb Folan could be set for a club versus country showdown after his Hull City boss Phil Brown said he will try to stop him from turning out for the Republic of Ireland B side next Tuesday, writes Martin Claffey.

Foran is currently struggling with an ongoing foot problem and has not featured for Brown’s team since he limped out of the 1-0 win at Wolves in September.

Despite this, he has received an international call-up from Ireland B boss Pat Devlin for the friendly against Scotland B at Airdrie.

But Brown is determined to stop the £1 million man from playing.

He said: “It’s my opinion that Caleb will be playing no part in that game. We’ve had confirmation through that he has received a call-up but I’m not going to be sending him to play in an international so soon after coming back from injury.”

While Folan was at Wigan, he was named in Steve Staunton’s senior squad but pulled out through injury amid questions about his commitment to the Irish cause.

And speaking after Folan’s call-up last week, Irish boss Devlin said: “We were short of a target man and the thinking behind bringing him in to the senior squad was to get a look at him. That didn’t happen but, for the future, I think it’s well worth having a look at him again.”