Forde to start as Westwood ruled out
Soccer:Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has been forced into a late change after Keiren Westwood withdrew from tonight’s friendly against Greece with a groin injury. Millwall’s David Forde will win his fourth cap in Westwood’s absence with Darren Randolph providing cover on the bench.
Westwood is the latest player to be ruled out of the match at the Aviva Stadium (7.45pm) after Paul McShane and Jonathan Walters went back to their clubs for treatment yesterday.
LA Galaxy striker Robbie Keane was left out of the original squad to spare him the gruelling round-trip from Los Angeles — Sunderland’s John O’Shea will take over the captain’s armband — while Aiden McGeady and Keith Fahey withdrew through injury and illness respectively at the weekend.
Republicof Ireland:Forde (Millwall); Coleman (Everton), O’Shea (Sunderland), Ward (Wolves); Brady (Hull City), Whelan (Stoke City), McCarthy (Wigan Athletic), McClean (Sunderland); Cox (Nottingham Forest), Long (West Brom).
Greece(probable):Karnezis (Panathinaikos); Torosidis (Olympiacos), Papastathopoulos (Werder Bremen), Papadopoulos (FC Schalke), Cholebas (Olympiacos); Maniatis (Olympiacos), Tziolis (AS Monaco), Tachtsidis (Roma), Fortounis (Kaiserslautern); Athanasiadis (PAOK), Samaras (Celtic).
