Trapattoni taking no chances

Shay Given’s insistence on playing every and any game possible for his country is well-documented but Giovanni Trapattoni admits he would be “an idiot” to risk his first-choice goalkeeper against Bosnia this Saturday.

The Aston Villa player picked up a knee injury during training in Malahide on Monday and is currently on reduced duties. He was one of almost a dozen squad members who either sat out yesterday’s two training sessions or played a reduced role.

Mix that roll call of absentees with Trapattoni’s pidgin English and it took some time to nail down who was and wasn’t okay for the weekend’s fixture with the pitchside interview descending into comedy before everything became, somewhat, clearer.