Time running out for Dunne

Soccer:Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has said the groin injury Richard Dunne picked up at Euro2012 continues to trouble the Dubliner despite an operation with the club's medical staff struggling to clear up the problem.

With the Republic of Ireland due to face Germany on in the World Cup qualifiers on October 12th, before meeting the Faroe Islands four days later, the chances of Dunne being involved in either match now appear slim.

“He’s had an operation, but it’s still underlying, it’s not clearing up,” Lambert explained. “He’s still struggling with injury which is a bit of a pain, we need to get to the bottom of that.”

Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni, who is due to name his squad for both games next Wednesday, is desperate for Dunne to return to face the Germans but is likely to be without his defensive lynchpin for the most important game of the qualifying campaign.

It is believed that Dunne had targeted the Premier League game with Tottenham on October 7th for his return, but Lambert believes it will be a “few more weeks” before he is available for selection.

Even if he can prove his fitness, Dunne is by no means guaranteed a starting place in a Villa back four with Ireland’s Ciaran Clark, consistently overlooked by Trapatttoni, beginning to form a central defensive partnership with Dutchman Ronald Vlaar.

That wouldn’t necessarily concern Trapattoni, who will deploy a fit Dunne regardless of his situation at Villa, but time is clearly running out for him to make his comeback.