Dunne to crown return by starting against Sweden
The match will be Dunne’s first competitive appearance for his country since Ireland’s final game of Euro 2012 against Italy, following which the veteran defender’s very future in football seemed in doubt as he was ruled out of action with a long-term groin and hip injury problems.
But having established himself in the heart of the QPR defence and making a brief appearance in the green shirt in the summer friendly against Georgia, the Dubliner is now ready to partner John O’Shea for the visit of the Swedes.
Giovanni Trapattoni signalled as much yesterday, having been impressed by seeing Dunne in action against Bolton the weekend before last.
“I saw him play with the same authority and personality,” he reported. “He did not have too much to do but he played easily and with confidence and commanded the other defenders. It was the usual Richard. I think we need him. Ibrahimovic is a strong player and a strong player needs a strong defender.”
When Trapattoni left out Dunne for last month’s friendly against Wales, the odds appeared to have lengthened on him ever making an international comeback. And certainly not in time for the next Friday’s crunch game.
“It was important that first he rest and recover from the surgery and then he made two weeks of training,” Trapattoni said. “But most importantly, he needed to play, play, play. But when I saw the game I saw he was good.
“Richard Dunne is Richard Dunne. Personality plays a big role and, in football, it’s also important what the opponent thinks about you. Robbie Keane is Robbie Keane, for example. Opponents have respect for him. The same applies to Richard Dunne.”
While Dunne was allowed to skip full training yesterday — in keeping with the recovery programme he has adopted at Loftus Road — fellow defender Marc Wilson was undergoing a scan on a bruised ankle which showed he should be fit for Friday night. However, in the event the Stoke man doesn’t make it, Trapattoni hinted Ciarán Clark could move to the left-full position leaving O’Shea and Dunne in the heart of the defence. As additional full-back cover, Bristol City’s Greg Cunningham has received a recall to the squad.
Meanwhile, David Forde’s recovery from knee surgery looks set to see him reclaim the number one shirt from Keiren Westwood after the Sunderland keeper had replaced the Millwall man for the friendly in Wales.
Trapattoni also said it had been an oversight on his part not to contact Andy Keogh to tell him he was being omitted from the latest squad.
Via Twitter, the Millwall striker had accused the manager of disloyalty and a lack of courtesy but Trapattoni didn’t seem inclined to hold a grudge yesterday, indicating that he would contact the Dubliner over the coming days. “I can speak with him, no problem,” he said.
Finally, the Irish squad will break with their usual habit by training at the Aviva Stadium on Thursday.
Normally, eve of match training is in Malahide but Trapattoni explained yesterday that he wants his players to test the newly re-laid pitch at Friday’s match venue.
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