Finnan out of Georgia qualifier

STEVE FINNAN has been forced to pull out of the squad for Ireland’s World Cup qualifier against Georgia on Wednesday.

“It’s very disappointing,” the Espanyol man told the Irish Examiner. “Even though I haven’t played much in the last few months, I was really looking forward to coming in for this game. But I’ve picked up a little hamstring problem and I just wouldn’t have been ready for Wednesday.”

It’s the latest blow for the former Liverpool player who has suffered injury woes and struggled to get game time at the Spanish club since leaving Anfield six months ago.

Last month, Finnan appeared to be on the verge of a move back to the Premiership but after Espanyol had agreed a €1.5m fee with Hull City for the 32-year-old, the deal fell through when the player failed a medical at the KC Stadium. Hull cited a thigh problem which they said turned up in tests, a diagnosis which left the Espanyol medical staff mystified.

“For us, the player is good physically,” said the head of the club’s medical team, Ignacio Sitges. “The footballer is in the perfect condition to play so we are surprised.”

Finnan, who insists that his injury problems in Spain — including a minor knee operation — are not career-threatening, maintains that the proposed move back to England simply came too soon for someone who had only just returned to full training.

“The timing wasn’t right for Hull in terms of my fitness,” says Finnan. “With another couple of games under my belt, I’d have been right but I think Hull wanted me to go straight into the team so it would have been a bit of a risk for them.”

Back in Barcelona, Finnan, who had previously made just four appearances for Espanyol, promptly resumed his fight to get into the team, playing 50 minutes in the cup against their big city rivals and being named as a substitute for last weekend’s league match against Recreativo Huelva. But then came the hamstring problem which this week meant that he was obliged to notify the Ireland management that he would be unavailable for Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier.

Such setbacks are, unfortunately, nothing new for the Limerick man who has endured a difficult time in La Liga where Espanyol are embroiled in a relegation battle amid much turbulence off the pitch.

“It’s been stop-start,” he admits. “We’ve had three managers in five months, the training is different and then there’s the language problem, so it hasn’t been ideal.”

Finnan, who made his last international appearance in the scoreless draw with Montenegro in September, has now targeted next month’s home game against Bulgaria for his return to the green shirt.

“I was really happy to be coming in for Georgia so it’s frustrating that this small problem has cropped up,” he says. “I’d think I’d be right for Bulgaria but I’ve said that before so I’d probably better take it one day at a time. Obviously I want to play for the club but I really need to do what’s right for me now, in terms of easing my way back to full fitness.”