Ian Harte's international career was adrift once more last evening after Mick McCarthy had been forced to exclude him from an enlarged squad of 22, for the Republic of Ireland's European championship game in Macedonia on October 9th.
Harte, in contention for a place at full back, is to enter hospital next week for a knee operation which is expected to keep him out for at least three weeks.
The effect is to obviate a difficult decision for McCarthy in evaluating the rival claims of Stephen Carr, Tottenham's emerging full back, who has started in five of the last six Ireland games and came on as a substitute for Denis Irwin during the 2-1 win over Yugoslavia.
There was better news for Harte's uncle, Gary Kelly who is awarded one of the midfield nominations in a squad which, as anticipated, features the recall of the Manchester United pair, Roy Keane and Irwin.
After nominating Harte as one of the young players around whom he proposed to rebuilt his team within months of succeeding Jack Charlton as manager, McCarthy has had relatively few opportunities to foster his interest in the player.
That is a product, in the first instance, of the fitness problems which saw the Leeds player withdraw from three Ireland games in the closing months of last season. He returned to the squad for the recent three-match programme, making late appearances as a replacement, in the matches in Croatia and Malta.
His response, in each instance, was impressive but confronted with the counter claims of Carr, the manager would have agonised on his choice, had Harte been available to add to his full back options for the Macedonian assignment.
After coming through Manchester United's games against Wimbledon and Sturm Graz without any reaction to an injury sustained during the 2-1 win over Yugoslavia, Irwin is now fully fit again. And despite speculation to the contrary yesterday, the hope is that he will be joined there by Keane.
Keane misses today's game against Southampton after suffering a slight recurrence of a knee problem in Austria in midweek and may not start against Marseille in the club's third defence of the European Champions' League next Wednesday.
Depending on a specialist's report early next week, minor surgery may be required to repair the damage but at this point, McCarthy is still including him in his plans for Skopje.
"Until such time as I'm told officially to the contrary, he stays in my plans" he said. "Roy is a hugely influential member of our team and in spite of his recent problems, I am hopeful that he will be with us for what is a very important fixture."
Shay Given, the Newcastle United goalkeeper is one of six players on standby for the game. Given, first choice goalkeeper for much of the last two years, is now back in training after undergoing a knee operation in the summer but will need at least another fortnight to work his way back to full fitness. It means that Alan Kelly will make his fifth consecutive appearance with Dean Kiely providing the cover.
With Jason McAteer yet to make his seasonal debut at Blackburn, Gary Kelly is awarded one of the midfield nominations, with every chance of starting the game. And there is also recognition for Damien Duff who marked his return to Blackburn's team, by scoring against Portsmouth on Wednesday.
Keith O'Neill, newly restored to Middlesbrough's team, is recalled after yet another in a long sequence of injury problems and in spite of his tribulations at club level, David Connolly has resisted the challenge of the veteran Tranmere player, David Kelly for the task of providing front line cover.
Meanwhile, Ronnie O'Brien, the Bray player who joined Juventus from Middlesbrough last season and is currently on loan to the Swiss club, Lugano, is one called up by under-21 manager, Ian Evans. Other newcomers are Derek Geary and Tony Shields.
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