He's grown well used to the day one routine by now. So, as Mick McCarthy sat down to his first press conference of a crucially important week for his Republic of Ireland side yesterday, he rattled off the names and their injuries without much hint of concern. Gary Breen, Robbie Keane and Gary Kelly could all be in better shape at the start of such an important build-up, he conceded, but they should be all fit by the weekend. McCarthy casually shrugged off their various difficulties during training yesterday.

With Kenny Cunningham having taken little part in the afternoon's work-out, though, the Republic Ireland manager admitted that his key central defender and former skipper may once again be absent as his team take on one of this World Cup qualification group's big boys.

McCarthy pointed out that Richard Dunne has already deputised for Cunningham with considerable effectiveness during this campaign. Still, he allowed, the defender's fitness is currently his main concern.

This time last year it seemed unimaginable that the Republic could travel to either Amsterdam or Lisbon without the Wimbledon player and return with anything more than their tails between their legs. Now, it appears, Cunningham might once again be forced to watch the team's fortunes unfold from the sidelines, thanks to a stomach muscle problem that kept him out of his club's last two games of the season.

"I came through today without any problems," said Cunningham yesterday, "although to be fair, I didn't do a whole lot. I'm hoping now to get a fair bit of work done in the gym, but I suppose to have any chance of playing I'll have to be joining in with the lads by some time in the middle of the week, so it's going to be tight."

The 29-year-old said that he would talk to McCarthy each day this week in order to ensure that the manager would not be in the dark at any stage regarding his progress, but, he added: "While I haven't set myself any firm deadline, I think I'll have a much better idea about my chances in a day or two, so it won't be a case of everybody going into Friday's training wondering, `will he or won't he'."

McCarthy stressed that he expected all of the other players with difficulties yesterday to be fit and ready for Saturday, with Kelly and Robbie Keane (both with ankle injuries), as well as Gary Breen (hernia), all in need of a rest, or in Breen's case minor surgery. However, the rest of the squad, including Niall Quinn whose lingering back problems have been a difficulty for much of the season, has assured their manager that they are in sufficiently good shape to take part this weekend.

Cunningham, modest to a fault, went to considerable lengths to play down the potential problems his own absence might present, paying tribute to the way in which Dunne and, more recently, Gary Doherty have emerged to provide McCarthy with options in central defence.

"With the calibre of player Mick has to choose from, it stands to reason I'm not going to figure unless I'm completely up to scratch fitness wise, but with the way they've come on I can't see that I'll be missed all that much anyway.

"I remember from my own days in the under-21s what a huge chasm there seemed to be between us and the seniors, but I don't think that there is any more and I think it's a great tribute to the way things have changed that players like Richard and Gary have made the transition so comfortably. In the first games of his campaign, Richard showed a maturity way beyond his years and I think that's more often than not the way with younger players - they surprise you in those circumstances."

Having returned home to Dublin before the weekend, Cunningham said that he was thrilled with the excitement that the game has been generating amongst supporters here but insisted that, having played their way into such a strong position with the results achieved away from home, the Irish players now have to drive their advantage home.

"I think that everybody realises just how big a game this is for us. But a lot of people are saying that, given how well we've done so far, we could nick second spot. The reality is that in the position we're in now, we have to be looking at going on and winning this group.

"To do that we're going to have to beat either Portugal or Holland and, for the moment, we're not looking at the Holland game. But the fact is that this could be the game that catapults us to the World Cup and we've got to think in terms of going out there and taking our chances."

FAI chief executive Brendan Menton, meanwhile, yesterday warned Irish supporters who have not got tickets for Saturday's game against buying any tickets from the Portuguese FA's allocation which have found their way back to a London-based ticket agency.

The tickets have been advertised over the past couple of days, but Menton insists that the north terrace at Lansdowne Road will be strictly reserved for visiting fans, in accordance with international regulations. Irish supporters who buy tickets for that part of the ground risk not being admitted to the game.

Around 2,800 tickets were sent to Portugal some weeks ago and Menton admits that the FAI is unsure of how many of these subsequently found their way to England. "Our hope had been to get whatever tickets were unsold back and then look at ways of re-segregating the terrace so that more Irish fans might be able to see the game, but obviously that won't be possible now. Security is our primary concern and without the necessary segregation being in place, we won't be able to allow local fans to enter that part of the ground."

A spokesman for the Estonian FA last night told RTE television that the stadium where Ireland are due to play next Wednesday, which is still under construction, will have around 9,000 seats in place in time for the game. Both the spectator and playing facilities, he said, will be ready in time for the match.