Passionate Trapattoni lays out selection decisions

NOT SO much a press conference as a one-man show.

Giovanni Trapattoni launched an impassioned defence of his selection policy yesterday, dealing with the Andy Reid, Joey O’Brien and Rory Delap issues. There was no shortage of straight news — Robbie Keane misses Wednesday’s game against Poland, returning to Anfield with a shoulder injury, and Celtic’s Aiden McGeady is also out, with a calf injury.

That opens the door for Reading’s Noel Hunt — brother of Stephen — who has received his first call-up to the senior Irish squad. However, Trapattoni arrived for the press conference with a printed list of Irish players who have already been picked or scouted or who will be watched over the coming weeks and months (including, he said, Celtic’s Cillian Sheridan and Hamilton’s James McCarthy, though he added that he feels he already has enough young players in the squad for Wednesday).