Injury risk Trap’s biggest fear

NOT Russia.

Not Slovakia.

The biggest obstacle in the way of Ireland topping Group B and qualifying for their first European Championship finals since 1988 is — fate.

That’s the resoundingly positive view of Giovanni Trapattoni who, in brushing aside concerns about the manner in which his team have gone joint top of the table, insists that injuries to key personnel represent the single greatest threat to Ireland’s chances of ending a 24-year European drought.

“Our biggest problem is always the doubt over injuries,” he says.

“I am not worried about whether our players play every game for their clubs or not, because many players in England don’t play from time to time. No, it’s injuries that our problem. I am afraid only about this.

“Even if we have good options, it’s always better to put your best players on the pitch. And after that performance against Macedonia, I am very confident that we can achieve first place.

“The important difference so far has been down to penalty misses. If we hadn’t missed a penalty against Slovakia and Macedonia hadn’t missed one against Russia, we would already be ahead in the group.”

The importance of the players’ condition will be especially acute, says Trapattoni, come June 4 when Ireland have to play the return game against Macedonia in the summer heat of Skopje in what will be the final outing of a long season for his squad.

“If the team is still in its current condition, we have a great opportunity to win that game,” he says. “In my experience, players who play in the English league all the time do run the risk of getting to June and being drained, being empty.

“I pray to God to look after Damien Duff. But if we can get to that game in the same condition we are in now, the experience and confidence this side has developed will mean we can play without fear. I believe that we have a great squad now, a squad which has matured, and that is why I am confident.”

Richard Dunne is already ruled out of the game against Macedonia through suspension but Trapattoni is cautiously optimistic that Kevin Doyle, who could well miss out on the remainder of his club season with Wolves, will have recovered by then from the knee ligament injury he incurred on Saturday night.

ALL going well, Shay Given, who expects to be back playing next month, will also return to the Irish squad, as will John O’Shea and Sean St Ledger.

Trapattoni is also heartened by the improvement in Aiden McGeady’s form, the winger crowning a man-of-the-match display on Saturday with his first goal in seven years for Ireland. Trapattoni admits that when McGeady opted to join Spartak Moscow he was worried that he might find the going tough in the depths of the Russian winter but the manager has since come around to the view that the move has been the making of the player.

“For two years I have been repeating to McGeady that he has the potential to score goals,” he says. “The habit for wingers in England and Scotland is that they only look to cross the ball. But McGeady has always had the potential to come inside and shoot. Now, at last, he has been convinced to do it. And he can shoot even more. Since his move to Moscow, he has become more self-confident.”

Trapattoni is also hugely enthusiastic about the potential of James McCarthy to develop into a top player, even going so far as to say that he sees qualities in the young man which remind him of such legends of the game as Michel Platini, Gianni Rivera and, more recently, Francesco Totti.

“He is one of the best young players,” says the Italian, “smart, creative and able to react immediately to things. And he can continue to grow.”

Keiren Westwood, Keith Fahey, Liam Lawrence and McCarthy are all certain starters against Uruguay tomorrow night in a side which will be shorn not only of the injured Doyle but also of Richard Dunne, Damien Duff, Robbie Keane and Kevin Kilbane, all of whom have been released from the squad by the manager.

(Typically, while the others were expected to avail of some rest and recreation, Kibane beetled it back to England to take his place on the bench for Huddersfield against Notts County yesterday).

Despite receiving two stitches following that dangerous kick in the head on Saturday, Shane Long stays with the squad while fellow strikers Cillian Sheridan and Anthony Stokes have been put on standby for the Uruguay game.

MEANWHILE, a jovial Trapattoni says that he doesn’t expect to find himself in hot water with the authorities following his extravagant protests on Saturday over Macedonia’s refusal to put the ball out of play and the long delay which ensued before the Irish management team could get Long on the pitch to replace Doyle.

At one point, an incensed Trapattoni not only strayed well outside the technical area but actually onto the pitch before then putting his hands on the linesman.

“At that moment I was a little bit angry but I am always polite,” he smiles. “I am not too arrogant. Usually, I say I am sorry. I am lucky because the referee and linesmen understand me. It’s not bad. In football, it’s not always tragedy, sometimes it’s just sport.”

Indeed, the veteran concludes by revealing that he was never once sent off as a player though, as a tough-tackling defensive midfielder who confesses that he might have tugged the odd shirt, he did pick up two yellow cards in vain attempts to try to curb the pace and skill of two rather well-known opponents. Their names? Pele and Johann Cruyff.