Finnan and O'Brien pull out of training squad

Fulham captain Steve Finnan and Andy O’Brien of Newcastle have pulled out of the Irish squad in Dublin this week for a training get-together because of injury.

The squad is to assemble at the Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links tomorrow evening.

Finnan has a pelvic strain and O’Brien has just had an operation to reset his broken nose and is still feeling the effects.

Manager Kerr says both players have withdrawn from the training squad and that their absence does not mean they will not be involved in the squad for the European Championship qualifiers against Albania and Georgia in June.

Steven Reid of Millwall and Joe Murphy of West Brom are remaining with their clubs for treatment for injuries but they will join up with the squad later in the week.

Murphy twisted an ankle in training yesterday and will not play any part in the training session.

Because of Murphy’s injury Kerr has called up Dean Delaney of Port Vale.

He was a member of Kerr’s Under-18 squad which finished third in the European Championships in Sweden in 1999.

The revised squad is :

Shay Given (Newcastle United), Joe Murphy (West Bromwich Albion), Dean Delaney (Port Vale), Stephen Carr (Tottenham Hotspur), Ian Harte (Leeds United), John O’Shea (Manchester United), Richard Dunne (Manchester United), Gary Breen (West Ham United), Kenny Cunningham (Birmingham City), Lee Carsley (Everton), Matt Holland (Ipswich Town), Mark Kinsella (Aston Villa), Alan Quinn (Sheffield Wednesday), Kevin Kilbane (Sunderland), Stephen McPhail (Leeds United), Steven Reid (Millwall), Damien Duff (Blackburn Rovers), Glen Crowe (Bohemians), David Connolly (Wimbledon), Gary Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Alan Lee (Rotherham United), Robbie Keane (Tottenham Hotspur).