Ireland line up summer clash with Italy

Ireland are set to renew old acquaintance by playing Italy in a summer friendly.

The game in May will not take place in Dublin but at a venue, as yet undisclosed, in Europe.

Ireland last met Italy in a friendly game in June 2011 when Giovanni Trapattoni’s team surprised the Azzurri with a 2-0 win in Liege.

However, when points were at stake a year later, the Italians reversed that scoreline in Ireland’s final game of Euro 2012.

While it is expected that Ireland will play a home friendly, against as yet unidentified opponents, in Dublin on May 25, official confirmation of any pre-World Cup fixtures — including the possibility of games in the United States — will not be forthcoming until after next month’s Euro 2016 qualifying draw in Nice.

Manager Martin O’Neill has previously indicated that he would prefer to wait until he sees who Ireland draw in that campaign before finalising the team’s end of season schedule.

Meanwhile, a couple of Irish players in contention for selection for the game against Serbia on March 5 are still facing uncertain club futures ahead of the close of the January transfer window tomorrow.

Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy has apparently failed in a bid to get Kevin Doyle — the player he brought to Wolves in 2009 — on loan from the Molineux club. Middlesbrough are also known to be keen on the Irish striker.

And Chris Hughton has reiterated that, at least for now, Wes Hoolahan remains a Norwich player.

The unsettled Hoolahan — a target for his former manager Paul Lambert at Aston Villa — has made clear his desire to move on from Carrow Road because of lack of game time.

But, after leaving the Dubliner out of his squad for the goalless draw with Newcastle on Tuesday night, the Canaries boss said: “He is still very much a Norwich City player. It was my decision to leave him out of the squad. The facts are that there has been a bid for him, he has put a transfer request and both have been denied.”

Shane Long might have suffered a losing debut for Hull City against Crystal Palace this week but Hull manager Steve Bruce was convinced that the outcome could have been very different if the striker had been given what he felt was a stonewall penalty.

“The one on Long, where [Danny] Gabbidon clatters into the back of him — it’s beyond me why [the referee] hasn’t given it,” said Bruce. “It’s as simple as that.”