Absent Dunne must prove his fitness

On trial for his club and now on trial for his country —that’s the situation Richard Dunne finds himself in on the eve of what would appear to be a make or break season for the defender.

QPR manager Harry Redknapp has already made it clear that Dunne’s contract with the club will be rendered null and void in the event of a recurrence of serious injury while, in leaving the Dublin man out of his squad for next month’s friendly against Wales in Cardiff, Giovanni Trapattoni yesterday signalled he too is waiting to see if the player’s body can handle the strains of Championship football.

As you would expect, Trapattoni was quick to dismiss the notion that Dunne might have played his last game for Ireland but, having said that, the manager left nobody in any doubt that the centre-half will have to prove his fitness by getting regular games under his belt at Loftus Road.