Doyle in race to prove his fitness

SOCCER: Emmet Malone reports from Nicosia as Ireland prepare for Saturday's game against Cyprus

Clinton Morrison and Paddy Kenny came through the Irish squad's final training session prior to departing for Cyprus yesterday morning without any signs of difficulty but Kevin Doyle continued to receive treatment on an ankle injury that still looks likely to keep him out of Saturday's second game of the Republic's European Championship qualification campaign.

Steve Staunton confirmed after the run-out that both Kenny and Morrison had done more than enough to suggest they'll be fully fit for the game at the weekend but he was much more cautious with regard to the Reading striker who, he said, could at least be relied upon to be available for the Czech game next Wednesday.

"Like I said yesterday, we'll see how he goes over the next few days," remarked the manger. "He had a good walk in the sea this morning, so he's improving.

"Improving," he added, "to the point that if he doesn't play Saturday, he'll definitely be fit for Wednesday. But we're not ruling out Saturday yet, we're just taking it day by day."

Both of the squad's newcomers, Jay Tabb and Kevin Foley, trained with the rest of the players yesterday with the Luton right back switching sides to the left in the game that rounded off the session. Though Staunton seems more likely to move either John O'Shea or Kevin Kilbane to the left-back role he insisted afterwards he has faith in the younger defender to fill the vacancy if required.

"Kevin Foley's a good player, he's a very good footballer. And he's proved that with the under-21s and with Luton. But there are other options in defence too, Sean St Ledger is doing well and Paul McShane has done himself no harm in the two sessions on top of what he's done with West Brom."

Staunton is, he insisted, happy with the players available to him and there are unlikely to be any further call-ups now, at least until after Saturday's game when the Louthman will be better able to assess how is fixed for the home game against the Czech Republic in the middle of next week.

"No, we've got everybody that we'll go with," he said. "They deserve a chance, they've been here since I took over so we are looking to the future so their time has come. They're important games but they have to start somewhere, there's a lot at stake but it's a great learning curve but the quicker they get in the quicker they're going to learn."

The manager said he would keep working with the players right up until he is obliged, by his Uefa ban for kicking a water bottle and persistently questioning the decisions made by the match referee in Stuttgart at the start of last month, to leave them in the care of his coach and main assistant Kevin MacDonald at the entrance to the GSP stadium in Nicosia on Saturday evening.

"My last words to them will be on the coach outside which is okay. After that there are only the few words in the dressing-room before the kick-off and Kevin can handle that no problem . . . motivation won't be a problem for the lads on Saturday night."

MacDonald, though, insists that he will still relish what could easily turn out to be his only opportunity to manage an international team in a qualification game for a major tournament.

The Aston Villa coach who has been friendly with Staunton since their days together on the playing staff at Liverpool admitted: "This is one of the most exciting times of my life. To be in charge of a side playing in a major international - there's not much better than that.

"I'll be doing what you boys all wish you were, managing the Irish team. That will be a wonderful feeling because I'm very proud to work for Steve Staunton and the Republic of Ireland."

When Staunton maintained last month that overseeing Villa's reserve games had prepared MacDonald for situations like Saturday's because "he used to taking big names off when he has to", the manager's words did not exactly inspire a huge amount of confidence but the Scot certainly shows no signs of discomfort regarding the additional burden of responsibility he will carry at the weekend.

"We'll discuss the various possibilities before the game and so if I have to react to a particular situation during the game then my decision will be shaped by a combination of my conversations with Stan, the understanding of the way he views the game that I've picked up from him over the years we've known each other and by talking to Alan (Kelly) and Pat (Devlin) who'll be down in the technical area.

"The talk to the players before the game can be very, very important. But in truth every little bit from now - whether in training, on the coach, little chats with people on the plane - all these things add up and if the players are saying that they're thinking about the game a lot already then they're lying to themselves if they think they're properly focused. If they are, though, and they take it all on board, we'll get the right performance and the right result."

Aside from the reserves at Villa, MacDonald also had a brief spell as caretaker manager at Leicester City while he also took charge of his current club's first team for an Intertoto Cup game against Slaven Belupo in 2001 when Staunton actually played.

"The day-to-day running of a football club is different, though," he conceded.

"For this one (Cyprus) we've been given time to prepare. There's a chance to watch DVDs, read reports, see them over and over again, so you have more time to put things in place.

"The only similarity is that when it comes to match days, decisions have to be made quickly on the pitch in terms of whether to change tactics or players or dealing with injuries.

"Still, it's been great for me because you're working at the highest level. What we need now is some good results and then everyone will start getting off his (Staunton's) back."