Rowlands in but still no room for Reid

QPR’s Martin Rowlands has been called into the Irish squad as Giovanni Trapattoni continues to sweat on a number of players who are nursing injuries in the run-up to Saturday’s big game against Italy at Croke Park.

Rowlands hasn’t been capped for Ireland since 2004, with injury forcing him out of Trapattoni’s plans after the player had initially impressed the manager in last year’s inaugural training camp in Portugal.

While the news will come as a welcome boost to a player who was sent off in his side’s 2-0 defeat to Swansea on Saturday, the unexpected recall of the 30-year-old midfielder can’t be interpreted as anything other than a fresh rebuff for Andy Reid whose hugely impressive performances this season for Sunderland have clearly not been enough to prompt a change of heart about his selection on Trapattoni’s part.

On Saturday, Manchester United’s John O’Shea had a close-up view of Reid playing a major part in Sunderland’s 2-2 draw at Old Trafford and, not for the first time, was impressed with what he saw.

“I played with Andy in the underage teams, U16, all the way up,” O’Shea told journalists in Dublin yesterday.

“I know well how talented he is. He definitely could be in the squad with his ability, no doubt, but that’s up to the manager. He’s going to pick the squad that he hopes is going to get us to South Africa. Andy is not in it at the minute and that is the manager’s choice.

“But I had a good laugh with him (on Saturday). I was trying to get him to stay out wide a bit more often and he kept disappearing on me and creating goals and stuff. Andy is a great lad and is going to do his talking on the pitch – hopefully that will be enough for him to get into the squad. I don’t know what (Sunderland boss) Steve Bruce said to him but he must have said ‘you’re good enough, sort it out and you will be playing’. And now you see the rewards Sunderland are getting.”

With Caleb Folan already replaced in the squad by Noel Hunt, it now looks almost certain that Blackburn’s Steven Reid will have to pull out as a result of a setback in his recovery from serious injury. Manchester United’s Darron Gibson is also extremely doubtful with a groin strain, while Reading’s Shane Long and Scunthorpe goalkeeper Joe Murphy are other injury worries.

But the biggest concern for Trapattoni remains Damien Duff (calf) because, while the Fulham winger is expected to join up with the squad when they gather in Dublin today, his prospects of featuring against Italy are still “touch and go”.

Meanwhile, Italy’s federation president Giancarlo Abete has called on his team to confirm their place at the World Cup in Croke Park.

“Results are crucial,” Abete said. “Of course, it is nice to see good football too. But our priority is to get a result – and now we only have to think about qualifying.”

At U21 level, Sheffield United’s Keith Treacy has been added to the Irish squad to face Georgia and Switzerland. The Republic take on Georgia in Tallaght this Friday before facing Switzerland in Waterford on Tuesday, (both 7.45pm).

Meanwhile, the FAI has said that it already has alternative travel plans in place in the event of Ireland ending up in the World Cup play-offs following yesterday’s announcement that the association’s official travel agent Ray Treacy is retiring.

A spokesman for the FAI said the association has for some time been in negotiation with other agents about carrying the Irish team in the future.