O’Shea’s Hungary fitness deadline

There is mounting concern that if John O’Shea is not fit enough to play in next Monday’s friendly against Hungary in Budapest, the defender will miss Euro 2012.

That was the stark message from Giovanni Trapattoni yesterday as the Ireland squad left Dublin for their pre-tournament training camp at Montecatini in Tuscany.

The Sunderland defender is still nursing a stubborn ankle problem and, although he was in the party of 24 players which landed in Pisa yesterday, he remains an injury worry in the Ireland camp.

The player himself believes he will be ready but while his manager is hoping for the best, he must also prepare for the worst.

“I think O’Shea can play in Hungary,” he said. “He assured me that he can be ready. But we wait because in Budapest he must play.”

Asked if that meant the Hungary game on June 4 effectively amounts to a Euros fitness deadline for the full-back, the manager answered in the affirmative.

“I preserve him against Bosnia, like Given,” he explained. “I said I would not run the risk but in Hungary he must play or else we have to look at another option.”

With Paul McShane now ensconced in Italy as a 24th man, he is the player poised to step into the official squad of 23 if O’Shea is ruled out. Meanwhile, Trapattoni continues to express confidence that Shay Given will return to training on Wednesday and be ready to play against Hungary next week.

One man already gone from the Euros is Keith Fahey who, sadly, had to remain behind in Dublin after aggravating a groin injury during the warm-up before Saturday’s win over Bosnia. Fahey was the man whose goal in Armenia back in September 2010 set Ireland’s whole Euros ball rolling, and the irony of losing him right on the eve of the finals was not lost on Trapattoni.

“The players were sad for him, it is a pity,” he said. “We gave him our regards and said see you in August and again in the future. But at the moment we must concentrate on what we can do.”

And what Trapattoni has already done is call Paul Green in from the standby list, a player who, by sound of things, was originally very close to making the 23. He might not be the critics’ favourite but he clearly impresses his manager.

“I thought very, very long about him and spoke with Marco,” said Trapattoni. “Paul Green is a particular kind of player. I know you (in the media) don’t like him, you like only players who play the violin. But, for Italy, (Gennaro) Gattuso has been one of team’s most important players. There are players we need who have this mentality. They can’t all be playmakers.

“Darron Gibson has other qualities and I complimented him on his performance against Bosnia. That is the Gibson I wish to have. But Paul Green can be like (Andy) Keogh against (Andrea) Pirlo when we played Italy in Liege last year. I need this type who does not permit others to play. Greene has this quality. He has an attitude.”

And Trapattoni even hinted, albeit somewhat cryptically, at how Green might fit into a tactical change – perhaps, one might even speculate, the deployment of a five-man midfield — should circumstances in the group dictate a different approach for the game against Spain.

“I don’t know what result we will get against Croatia so I don’t know what I need to do against Spain,” the manager mused. “I have an idea about what might happen in the future but now I cannot say to you because tomorrow you will say what I said.”

Having flown into Pisa yesterday afternoon, the Irish transferred to Montecatini and had their first light outing on the training pitch which now becomes their workplace until Sunday when they fly on to Budapest.