Dunne won’t be risked but Cox likely to play

Confirmation will only come later today when Giovanni Trapattoni names his team but, on the basis of training at Malahide yesterday, it looks like Richard Dunne will miss out and Simon Cox will start against the Faroe Islands tomorrow night.

Dunne finally made his comeback against Georgia on Monday, following which Giovanni Trapattoni said the player was “90% sure” to start against the Faroes. But, with caution the watchword, it appears the Irish management have now thought better of risking the player in a competitive game – at least from the start.

As things stand, the Irish line-up looks set to read: Forde, Coleman, O’ Shea, St Ledger, Wilson, Cox, McCarthy, Hoolahan, McGeady, Keane, Walters.

And while it was the case that St Ledger was seem limping barefoot back into the team hotel in Portmarnock yesterday, the word is that his discomfort was caused by a blister which should not be any impediment to him starting.

As for goalkeeper David Forde, who has been nursing a calf injury since the game against England, the man himself insisted that he will be fit to play.

“I could do a little jig and reel for you right now,” he chuckled on the steps of the team hotel. “You could put it up on You Tube – it would get about five hits. The calf is very good. I trained today and there were no problems. Back fully training tomorrow and hopefully play on Friday night.

“It’s not a problem, not a problem, I’m 100%, yeah. There was a spell there when there was no need to aggravate it. The doc and the physios did tremendous work and we’ve got it right.

“That was the main thing. I’m fit and ready to rock on Friday night.”

But, as befits his role, goalkeeping coach Alan Kelly wasn’t quite prepared to count his chickens.

“David is looking to take part in training fully tomorrow, so that’s the best indicator,” he said. “I would be a clairvoyant if I could look into the future and tell you that everything is going to be right after that training session. But the fact that he has come so far in his rehab and he has overcome every step so far — to the point where he is going back into full training — is the best we could have hoped for.”