Opportunity knocks for young blood to impress Trapattoni

LEST we forget, there’s a Carling Nations Cup game between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland at the Aviva Stadium tonight.

While making no bones about the fact that his main aim is to protect his assets for the away qualifier against Macedonia on June 4, GiovanniTrapattoni was insistent that this week still offers him a valuable chance to give fringe and youth players a chance to stake a claim.

Injuries, late arrivals and involvement in Champions League final and Championship Play-Off games have all limited his hand this week to the extent that, while his habit is to name a side 24 hours before kick-off, he was obliged yesterday to include a couple of either/ors in his starting line-up for tonight’s game.

As it stands, his side will be an 11 from Shay Given; Paul McShane, Stephen Kelly, Damien Delaney, Marc Wilson; Seamus Coleman/Liam Lawrence, Keith Andrews/Kevin Foley/Keith Fahey, Keith Treacy, Robbie Keane and Simon Cox.

Richard Dunne notified the Irish camp that he is out with an Achilles problem but since the Aston Villa man was suspended for Skopje, Trapattoni is clearly more concerned about the fact that centre-halves Sean St Ledger and Darren O’Dea are both in a race to recover in time for that crucial qualifying game.

He will also be hoping that Shane Long’s swollen knee is only a minor issue — as will Reading, with their huge promotion play-off game against Swansea at Wembley on Monday next.

Meanwhile, two of those who will hope to be involved tonight, Kevin Foley and Keith Andrews, were yesterday reflecting on their shared experience of surviving Sunday.

Wolves man Foley described it as a “dramatic, crazy, mad day”, spoke of Mick McCarthy telling the half-time dressing room they could “kiss the Premiership goodbye” if they didn’t stage a fightback and recalled “rugby-tackling” Stephen Hunt in sheer unbridled joy after his fellow Irish international’s goal secured their Premier League status.

After a season ruined by an infection arising from surgery on his groin, Keith Andrews was confined to the rival bench for Blackburn Rovers on Sunday but now, after delighting in seeing his own clubstay up, he is looking forward to mounting a fresh challenge for the Irish midfield berth which, in his long absence, has been filled by first, Derby’s Paul Green and then Manchester United’s Darron Gibson.