Georgia can do Ireland a big favour

While everyone in the Irish camp continues to insist the team can still top Group 10 and qualify automatically for next summer's European Championship finals, the Republic's cause may be advanced this evening - even if it means slipping from fourth to last in the five-team table.

Brian Kerr observed while in Albania a few weeks ago that he has always tended to view draws as the best outcome to games involving two rivals in a league situation, but the Ireland manager is likely to be well pleased this evening if Georgia can beat Russia in front of 11,000 of their fans in Tbilisi to - if they win by two goals or more - move above the Republic on goal difference.

Russia's 4-2 win over Ireland in the opening round of group matches and the subsequent 4-1 home win over Albania initially established them as the favourites to claim Group 10's one automatic qualification slot for Portugal, but their subsequent defeat in the return game against the Albanians has left them looking vulnerable again.

When their original game away to Georgia was postponed at half-time due to floodlight failure neither side had scored and such an outcome would do Kerr rather nicely this evening.

But a win for the home side would be a considerable bonus for the Irish as they head into three home games which they must win if they are to retain realistic hopes of progressing out of the group.

"I'll have somebody there watching the game for me and I'll certainly be waiting on the result," said Kerr, "but the fact is that there's nothing we can do about the it. If Russia wins the match it's out of our control. We just have to hope for the best."

New Georgia coach, Ivo Susak, is without Levan Kobiashvili or Alexander Rekhviashvili, both of whom are suspended for the game while another couple of players, Lado Burduli and Revaz Kemoklidze, are injured.

And at least one other change has been forced on the manager after former Newcastle striker Temuri Ketsbaia announced earlier this month he was retiring from international football.

The Russians are also missing players with goalkeeper Sergey Ovchinnikov as well as Andrei Solomatin ruled out by injury.

Ovchinnikov has played in all three of their qualifiers but has suffered a recurrence of an old knee injury and Valeri Gazzaev must now choose either Veniamin Mandrykin or Valeri Chizhov as his replacement.

"I do have an idea of who will be our goalkeeper in Georgia," said Gazzaev yesterday, "but there is still time before the game anyway, so I will make a final decision on it later."