Opportunity knocks as Kilbane and McGeady out

AIDEN MCGEADY and Kevin Kilbane are among the players who won’t be featuring in the Republic of Ireland’s Carling Nations Cup opener against Wales at the Aviva Stadium next Tuesday after Giovanni Trapattoni trimmed his squad from 29 to 22 yesterday.

Andy Keogh and the injured trio of Stephen Hunt, Kevin Foley and Paul McShane also miss out while Birmingham midfielder Keith Fahey and Celtic striker Anthony Stokes, both of whom were in Trapattoni’s original squad, have been placed on standby.

Somewhat surprisingly, Wigan midfielder James McCarthy, who was left out of the provisional 29-man panel and subsequently called up for the U21s clash with Cyprus on Wednesday, has now been called into senior squad.