Jason McAteer is expected to be fit to face Cameroon in the Republic of Ireland’s first World Cup match on Sunday after getting the all-clear following a scan on his injured knee.
The Sunderland midfielder suffered the injury after a reckless tackle by Hiroshima defender Bilong - a former Cameroon international - in yesterday's 2-1 victory in the Republic’s final warm-up match.
It was at first feared that McAteer had damaged ligaments and his World Cup would be over. But the scans revealed nothing more than bad bruising on the bone, and with intensive treatment the 30-year-old hopes to win his 48th cap in Saturday's Group E opener.
"I was worried that I might have a serious injury but that is not now the case," said McAteer. All I can do is let the swelling go down and hope that I can be right for Saturday with a mixture of rest and treatment."
Manager Mick McCarthy said: "Jason's got a smile back on his face which is always a good sign."
Physio Mick Byrne said: "It is too early to say Jason will be okay for the Cameroon game, but the next couple of days are vital. He felt a little better this morning and can bend and stretch his leg. With intensive treatment we hope he will be okay for Saturday."
Millwall's Steven Reid is on standby for his first competitive cap if McAteer fails to recover.
Both Kevin Kilbane and Ian Harte, who also picked up foot injuries in the game against Hiroshima, are also expected to be fit.
PA