Recovering skipper Keane plays through the pain

ROBBIE KEANE and Marco Tardelli have sought to dampen concerns about the Irish skipper’s fitness as the Irish squad prepares to fly out to Yerevan today ahead of Friday’s opening Group B qualifier against Armenia.

The striker trained at Malahide yesterday with strapping on his right knee, the residual effects of a knock he picked up in the first leg of Spurs’ Champions League play-off game against Swiss side Young Boys.

But, afterwards, Keane insisted that he would be fit for Friday’s game.