Georges Leekens, the Belgium manager, had a pleasant surprise for Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy when he announced his squad for Saturday's return World Cup playoff game in Brussels. Omitted from the squad is PSV Eindhoven striker Gilles de Bilde, who came on as substitute in the 1-1 draw at Lansdowne Road and who also scored against Shay Given and Newcastle in the Champions League last Wednesday.
Although the striker is clearly in form - he scored two goals for PSV in their 5-1 victory over Breda yesterday - the Belgium manager claims he is not fit enough for international duty.
However, this explanation was dismissed by the player himself who remarked that "it makes no sense, I don't understand how it is that I can be fit enough to play for PSV but not for my country."
As expected, Leekens includes the Fiorentina striker, Luis Oliveira, who was suspended for the first leg last Wednesday week.
As announced last week, Enzo Scifo, Lorenzo Staelens and Erc Van Meir are out of the squad and the list of casualties may be swollen after Albert De Roover, who is required purely as cover, has undergone a test on a muscular injury.
"I'm delighted to have Oliveira back in the squad - now the problem is to balance the team," Leekens said. "I will play only those players who are fully fit."
It is not yet entirely clear what De Roover's injury is but the Breda player failed to line out for his club over the weekend while he hinted yesterday at the impending withdrawal. He had been expected to start as one of the centre backs on Saturday with Gordan Vidovic switching to sweeper in place of injured Eric Van Meir.
Meanwhile, Ireland boss, McCarthy, will decide today whether to call up Stephen Carr, the Tottenham full back, for Saturday's game.
It follows the loss in quick succession last week, of Denis Irwin (Manchester United) and Curtis Fleming (Middlesbrough), two of the specialist full backs named in the original squad of 22.
With players of the quality of Jeff Kenna, Gary Kelly, Steve Staunton and Terry Phelan, still left in the squad, the manager is amply covered for any contingency at the back. Yet with Kelly and Staunton also meeting the requirements for midfield, he may deem it necessary to call up additional cover.
"I'm looking at the situation in the light of the fact that I'm now short two full backs and obviously, one of the names which comes to mind is Stephen Carr," said McCarthy.
"At this point, I'm still checking to make sure that we've no additional fitness problems after the weekend programme and when I've completed that exercise, I'll decide if we need to bring the squad back to its original numerical strength".
Carr, one of Ireland's most capped players at under-21 level, is still waiting for his first senior honour. Significantly, however, he was promoted to the senior squad for the game in Lithuania after McCarthy had again encountered injury problems.
After being forced to pull out of last month's under-21 game against Romania because of an ankle problem, he has since reclaimed his place in Tottenham's team and on Saturday, was in the side, beaten comprehensively by Liverpool.
Niall Quinn's protracted recuperation from the latest of his knee injuries, reached a significant stage on Saturday when he came on as a late replacement in Sunderland's 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest at Roker Park.
Quinn took over from Michael Bridges for the final six minutes of the game, an important breakthrough in his attempt to get back to where he was, before undergoing a cruciate ligament operation last season.
Sadly, from his point of view, it has come too late to enhance his chances of an early recall to the national squad and McCarthy was merely stating the obvious yesterday when he said that the tall striker will not be joining the travelling squad for next Saturday's game.
Belgium Squad
Goalkeepers De Wilde (Sporting Lisbon) Vande Walle (Lierse)
Defenders Genaux (Udinese) De Roover (Breda) Vidovic (Mouscron) Borkelmans (FC Brugge) Deflandre (FC Brugge) Leonard (AS Monaco) Verstraeten (Ekeren) De Boeck (Anderlecht)
Midfielders Boffin (FC Metz) Van der Elst (FC Brugge) Wilmots (Schalke) Claessens (FC Brugge) Van Kerckhoven (Lierse) Verheyen (FC Brugge)
Forwards Goossens (Schalke) Nilis (PSV Eindhoven) Oliveira (Fiorentina)
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