DAVID CONNOLLY'S hopes of a first competitive appearance for the Republic of Ireland plummeted yesterday after he was described as a doubtful starter for Saturday's World Cup game in Liechtenstein.
Connolly, of Watford, one of the more talented of the newcomers whom Mick McCarthy introduced during his build up programme, damaged a hamstring within 20 minutes of the start of Watford's 2-0 defeat by Millwall on Saturday.
McCarthy will be told this morning whether the player is fit enough to travel to Dublin but he acknowledges that the signs are not encouraging.
"The fact that he went off so early suggests that the injury is a serious one and at this point it doesn't look good.
"I'm disappointed because David was one of the players who impressed me in America in June and he would have been in the travelling party of 20 for Liechtenstein.
"The lad has been scoring regularly for his club since starting back this season and you can't ask much more of a striker than that".
With John Aldridge and mommy Coyne excluded and Sunderland's David Kelly blatantly short of match practice, it reduces the options available to the manager in complementing either Niall Quinn or Tony Cascarino in the front line.
Inevitably, it will enhance the chances of the young Norwich player, Keith O'Neill, getting into the side. No less than Connolly, O'Neill impressed in the end of season programme. He scored in the 2-2 draw with Croatia and hit the target twice in the 3-1 win over Bolivia in New Jersey.
Unlike the Watford player who is an out and out striker, he can adapt to a number of roles and that could be an import ant factor when McCarthy comes to finalising his starting line up on Friday.
Connolly's hamstring is not the only fitness worry clouding McCarthy's horizon; a similar injury restricted Ray Houghton's participation in Crystal Palace's meeting with Oldham on Saturday to a brief substitution. However it is expected that Houghton will be available to travel.
Jon Goodman, the Wimbledon forward who is the only uncapped player in the squad, will arrive in Dublin tomorrow, still uncertain if he is eligible to play for Ireland.
Documentary evidence to support the Londoner's claim that he qualifies under the ancestry rule is still not available but he hopes to produce it before the squad sets off for Vaduz on Thursday.
McCarthy confirmed that he will again go with three central defenders but stressed that at least one of these places is still wide open. He admitted he was worried that Paul McGrath hadn't started a game for Aston Villa this season and hinted that Denis Irwin could be deployed in a central role.
Significantly, he was keen to emphasise the need for experience in the team. "While the young players did great in America, there is a world of difference between friendly and competitive games and that has to be reflected in the make up of the team in Liechtenstein."
