Fahey ruled out of Ireland matches

SOCCER:KEITH FAHEY is out of the Republic of Ireland's two crucial qualifying games against Slovakia and Russia after Birmingham City informed the FAI he is suffering from a groin strain. However, Shay Given has insisted he will be fit to play despite hurting his back in Aston Villa's scoreless draw with Wolves on Saturday.

Fahey was named on Birmingham’s bench for yesterday’s 2-2 draw at Watford but didn’t make it on at any stage and afterwards the association confirmed he had been formally withdrawn from the two games.

Giovanni Trapattoni and Marco Tardelli were at Villa Park on Sunday to see Given keep a clean sheet against Mick McCarthy’s side and the pair must have been concerned to see the goalkeeper struggle early on after landing awkwardly on his back.

Later that evening, however, Given said in a telephone interview with RTÉ’s Premier Soccer Saturday that he will be fit for the games “no doubt”, although he said he would stay on at his club to work with medical staff until “a bit later in the week”.

The FAI said yesterday he is expected tomorrow while most of the rest of the group are due to train in Malahide this morning.

The Irish Football Association’s new elite player mentor Gerry Armstrong says he is confident Newcastle United’s Shane Ferguson, who had been linked with a possible switch to the Republic, will take his place in the Northern Ireland Under-21 squad for the forthcoming games against Serbia and Denmark. Armstrong suggested that he hopes to persuade other players whose long-term international future has not been resolved to stick with Nigel Worthington’s side.

“I spoke to Shane Ferguson last week,” said Armstrong. “Shane is a lovely lad and he seems very happy to play for Northern Ireland, which is a huge boost to us all.

“We talked a lot about football and what Northern Ireland can offer a player and I am delighted to hear he will be in our under-21 squad this week.

“Other players have declared for the Republic,” he added, “but have (yet) to play so I wouldn’t say they are a lost cause to us.”

One of those to switch his allegiance is Daniel Kearns, who heads to Peterborough today with the intention of completing a medical and agreeing personal terms on a move reckoned to be worth an initial €100,000 plus the same in potential add-ons to Dundalk.

The chance may not have come his way, as it happens, had another of the players to turn their backs on Northern Ireland, James McClean, not chosen to go to Sunderland rather than Peterborough a couple of weeks back.

Kearns (20), who was released by West Ham 15 months ago, made 49 appearances for the Oriel Park club.

Noel King, meanwhile, has been forced to make two changes to his under-21 squad for the qualifiers against Hungary and Turkey.

Cardiff’s Joe Mason and Aaron Doran of Inverness, both of whom are injured, are replaced by Cardiff’s Joe Mason and Rhys Murphy of Arsenal. Murphy has been cleared to play after previously representing England.