McGeady injury McClean’s opportunity

The traditional perils of the early season international friendly are becoming all too familiar for Giovanni Trapattoni ahead of next Wednesday’s game against Wales in Cardiff.

Aiden McGeady yesterday become only the latest in the swelling number of players to withdraw from the Ireland squad, after the winger sustained a knee tendon injury in training with Spartak Moscow.

But of more concern for the Ireland manager will be whether or not the problem goes on to threaten McGeady’s availability for next month’s vital World Cup qualifiers at home to Sweden and away to Austria.

In the short-term, however, McGeady’s difficulty should prove to be James McClean’s opportunity, the new Wigan man now looking certain to earn a starting place on the flanks against Wales.

After the Championship side yesterday confirmed they’d acquired the Derryman from Sunderland, for a fee believed to be in excess of €2.5 million, McClean said of the move: “I’m delighted it’s all been completed and I can say I’m a Wigan Athletic player. This is a fantastic club and after speaking with the manager (Owen Coyle) I can’t wait to meet the rest of the team, start training and hopefully make my debut very soon with the aim of helping us get back to the Premier League.”

The move should also provide a windfall for his old club Derry who, under the terms of his transfer to Sunderland, stand to net in the region of €300,000 on the back of his joining Wigan.

Meanwhile, McGeady’s withdrawal adds to Giovanni Trapattoni’s concerns ahead of the Welsh dress rehearsal for next month’s World Cup qualifiers.

Already, goalkeeper David Forde looks set to miss those games having had surgery on a knee injury that rules him out of the game against Wales, his place in the squad being filled by West Ham’s Stephen Henderson.

Also out of the travelling panel for next week’s training camp in Newport followed by the match at Cardiff City Stadium, are Anthony Pilkington, Simon Cox and Stephen Quinn.

Former Bohemians rookie Paddy Madden, after a sensational scoring season helped Yeovil Town to promotion to the Championship, is on standby to link up with the squad when they meet up in Wales on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Wales manager Chris Coleman insists he had no hesitation in naming Gareth Bale in his squad for the game despite the fact that the player is at the centre of a protracted transfer saga between Spurs and Real Madrid.

It will come as no great shock if Bale — who is also said to be nursing a foot injury — withdraws from next Wednesday’s international, but that’s not the way the Welsh manager is thinking.

“I’ve always tried to pick our strongest squad,” he said. “There’s no friendlies for us with the Fifa and Uefa rankings — we’ve got to be as high as we can. That means every game is important and we’re not in a position to say, ‘Leave this player or that player out’. We need to win games and we need to keep climbing. It never crossed my mind to leave him out.”