Duff forced out

Damien Duff has been ruled out of the 22-man squad for the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Montenegro.

While winger Duff has been forced to withdraw with a groin injury he picked up in Newcastle’s 1-0 win over Bolton at the weekend.

Defender Paul McShane, however, has recovered from the knee problem that ruled him out of the recent friendly against Norway in Oslo.

Manager Giovanni Trapattoni bemoaned the loss of Duff for the two games which launch the Republic’s World Cup qualification campaign on September 6 and 10, starting with Georgia in Mainz, Germany.

Trapattoni said: “It is a shame that we have lost Damien Duff for the two opening qualifiers. He started very well and he is a very important player in the Irish squad.”

The Georgia match will be played at a neutral location due to the recent problems in the country.

Trapattoni added: “I am happy that FIFA and the Georgian Football Federation have made a decision to play the game against Georgia in a neutral venue.

“We understand that it was a difficult decision to make but feel it was the correct one given the need to prioritise the safety of players and fans.”