Given in race to make qualifiers

European Championship news: Steve Staunton was last night refusing to concede that he will be without Shay Given for next month's European Championship qualifiers against Cyprus and the Czech Republic but the reports from Newcastle United strongly suggested that the 30-year-old will be laid up for six weeks or more after undergoing surgery on his abdomen.

Given was injured three minutes from the end of Newcastle's win at West Ham on Sunday after a challenge by Marlon Harewood.

He was immediately replaced by Steve Harper but United's medical staff initially believed that he was only "severely winded".

Fifteen minutes after the game was over, however, it had become obvious that something more serious was wrong and an ambulance took a "clearly distressed" Given to an east London hospital where he subsequently had an operation to mend a tear to his lower stomach.

The Irishman is expected to stay in hospital for another day or two before returning home to the north east of England.

United manager Glenn Roeder said afterwards that it was too early to say how long the goalkeeper would be out for but it is generally estimated that he will not play again much before the end of October.

Certainly a return from stomach surgery in the 19 days that remain before the game in Cyprus looks to be all but impossible although in the absence of any firmer news yesterday Staunton, who will name his squad for the trip next week, was still resolutely hoping for the best.

"Shay is a world-class keeper and has great presence about the squad," said Staunton in a statement issued through the FAI.

"He's a leader by nature and any squad would miss his qualities. Shay is normally a quick healer and all we can do for the moment is monitor the situation closely over the coming days."

"We always want to plan European Championship qualifying matches with all our key players fully fit and available," continued the Ireland manager, "and it would be a real disappointment if Shay is ruled out of the Cyprus game next month."

Cyprus, as it happens, is one of many places Given has underlined his status as the team's best and most consistent player over the last few years with the goalkeeper having played a key part in the 1-0 victory that the Republic took away from their last visit to the Mediterranean island.

His presence on October 7th would again be viewed as important although his absence from that game might not be quite the blow that his unavailability for the home match with the Czech Republic four days later would represent.

Given has not missed a competitive game for the Republic since establishing himself as Mick McCarthy's first choice ahead of Alan Kelly and Dean Kiely at the start of 2001.

His form at both club and international level has been hugely impressive since and only last month in Stuttgart he made one stunning save and several other good ones against the Germans to prolong Ireland's hopes of taking something from a game the home side dominated.

Assuming he is fit Paddy Kenny will almost certainly deputise for Given in the two qualifying games but the Sheffield United goalkeeper was actually ruled out of his own side's game against Reading over the weekend after picking up a thigh strain in the pre-match warm- up.

The club says that he may yet miss this week's visit to Arsenal but that he would be expected to have recovered from his current injury in plenty of time to play for Ireland.

If Kenny, whose last of six caps came in the hefty defeat by The Netherlands, is ruled out then Nicky Colgan and Wayne Henderson would be in contention to start the games.

Roeder yesterday described the incident that led to Given's injury as an "unnecessary challenge" but said that the goalkeeper would accept that such occurrences were part and parcel of the game.

"I think Shay will be the first person to say that it's a man's game," said the United boss.

"I would like to think the ball was free. Shay came out and was extremely brave. I would like to think that Harewood was being completely honest and trying to get the ball.

"His team was losing and he was trying to get a goal.

"We're all men," he concluded.

Given Statistics

Born: 20/4/76. Lifford, Co Donegal.

Previous clubs: Celtic, Sunderland (loan), Blackburn Rovers, Swindon Town (loan), Newcastle United.

Current club: Newcastle United (since July 1997).

Senior club games: 379 for Newcastle in all club in all competition (career total 404).

International Caps: 77.

International debut: Russia (March 27th, 1996).