Tardelli’s warning for Dunne

Marco Tardelli expects a fit Richard Dunne to link up with the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on May 17 but insisted the Aston Villa defender will not travel to Poland unless he has fully recovered from his fractured collarbone.

The defender hasn’t played since suffering the injury against his old club Manchester City in February but Villa manager Alex McLeish stated on Wednesday that Ireland’s defensive lynchpin is closing in on a return to action.

Dunne’s importance to the national team has never been greater, as evidenced most by his performance in the 0-0 draw in Moscow last September, but Tardelli claimed Giovanni Trapattoni will not take a gamble by picking a less than fighting fit Dunne in his squad of 23.