Given looks a big doubt for San Marino game

European Championship newsAs the odds of Shay Given missing the San Marino game in November shortened considerably yesterday, Newcastle United boss Glenn Roeder revealed that the surgeon who operated on the goalkeeper on Sunday evening had told him that his injury was the sort of thing that might be expected after a car crash rather than a football match.

"The surgeon said he has never seen an injury like this through football," said Roeder yesterday.

"He has seen it happen in car crashes where there has been impact - I suppose that is what has caused it this time."

Given is due to get out of hospital on Friday but Roeder made it clear yesterday that the club would not rush him back into training and there was a clear suggestion that it might be eight rather than six weeks that the 30-year-old spends on the sidelines.

"It is a question now of waiting for Shay to get fit again," he said. "But this is all about Shay, this is not about us rushing him back or anything like that.

"He will be given all the time he needs and all the help he needs by the club to make a full recovery, which he will do - and in the meantime, we are lucky to have Steve Harper."

Given had a perforation of his small bowel repaired on Sunday night at a London hospital and the very rarity of the problem amongst footballers was making it difficult for anybody at the club to accurately predict how long he would be out.

Club doctor Roddy McDonald has said, however, it could be six weeks before the Donegalman is back training and another two before he is playing again.

That time-frame would only allow him one club game before Ireland's last European championship qualifier of the year while virtually any slippage in the schedule would involve him being ruled out of the home game against the group's minnows.

With San Marino having been beaten 13-0 by Germany earlier this month, the absence of Given for the game should not unduly concern Steve Staunton but the recovery schedule outlined yesterday kills off any hopes the manager might have been harbouring that Given might return ahead of October's two qualifying games.

He said last week that a win in Cyprus would be vital if Ireland is to make any chance of making a serious impact on this group while his side badly needs to beat the Czech Republic at Lansdowne Road four days later if finishing ahead of the Euro 2004 semi-finalists is to look an achievable target.

The loss of one of the Republic's very few genuinely top-class players will dent his hopes of securing those wins.

Roeder, meanwhile, has continued to exonerate West Ham striker Marlon Harewood from blame for the injury inflicted upon Given late in Sunday's premiership game at Upton Park but Newcastle's reserves goalkeeper, Steve Harper, says that most of the Newcastle players felt the challenge was "late" and "unnecessary".

Ireland under-17 manager Seán McCaffrey has called Celtic defender Simon Dunne into his squad for this week's trip to Azerbaijan where the Republic will take part in a four-team European Championship qualifying group between Saturday and Wednesday next.

Dunne replaces Norwich City's Kris Renton who is injured and completes a panel of 18 for Ireland's games against Denmark, Azerbaijan and Latvia.

IRELAND UNDER-17 SQUAD: Kieron Thorp (Charlton Athletic), Kevin O'Brien (Douglas Hall), Gareth Matthews (Norwich City), Adrian Moyles (Brentford FC), David Joyce (Birmingham City), James O'Brien (Birmingham City), Paul Honohan (Wilton), Lawrence Gaughan (Liverpool), Michael Collins (Liverpool), Shane O'Connor (Liverpool), Mark Nolan (Glasgow Celtic), Conor McCormack (Manchester United), Joe Collins (Portsmouth), Dean Marshall (Coventry City), Sean Scannell (Crystal Palace), Ian Daly (Manchester City), Kurtis Byrne (Norwich City), Simon Dunne (Glasgow Celtic).