Robbie Keane injury could reopen Euros door to Kevin Doyle

First there was the disconcerting sight of Robbie Keane stepping gingerly down from the team bus before entering Turner’s Cross, not to take his place on the pitch, but in the stands.

Then there was the no less worrying spectacle of Harry Arter — who had been fully participating in the Ireland training session — suddenly making his way to the sidelines with an evident problem with his thigh.

The sun blazed down on Cork yesterday but Martin O’Neill could have been forgiven for detecting a cloud or two in the blue sky as he was presented with a couple of new injury alarms ahead of tonight’s friendly against Belarus and, more to the point, that post-match 11pm deadline for official submission of his France 2016 squad.