Ireland to assess Kilbane injury ahead of qualifier

Ireland assistant manager Marco Tardelli has said Derby County's Kevin Kilbane will be assessed tonight.

The full back is carrying a back strain and may be sent back to his club ahead of Friday's Euro 2012 qualifier with Slovakia at the Aviva.

In better news for Giovanni Trapattoni, Aston Villa keeper Shay Given has been cleared to play.

Trapattoni’s men face the Slovakians in Dublin and then four days later, Russia in Moscow in a potentially decisive Group B double-header.

The three sides are locked in a three-way tie at the head of the race for qualification on 13 points, and a win at the Aviva Stadium in the first leg of an intensely tough pair of fixtures would send the Republic to the Luzhniki Stadium with their sights fixed firmly on the big prize.