In-form Carr may feel this is his chance

Whatever about the starting line-ups, Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy more or less admitted that his squads are almost picking themselves these days; the absence of any real surprises whatsoever is the closest thing to a surprise produced when the panel for next week's European Championship qualifier in Skopje, FYR Macedonia, was announced in Dublin yesterday.

With Jeff Kenna and Rory Delap ruled out by injury, McCarthy has turned to Keith O'Neill and Stephen Carr to fill the gaps in his 20-strong travelling party. The Spurs full back is the only uncapped player included, and given his form at club level at the moment he may feel that this will be the occasion on which he finally makes it out onto the pitch in a senior game.

O'Neill, meanwhile, is recalled after missing the Paraguay game through injury. Otherwise it is very much a cast of regulars, with all of the components of McCarthy's increasingly recognisable first choice team fit and available.

"It was a very easy squad to pick all right," said McCarthy, "but then there's a bit of a suggestion that that just happened. It didn't just happen, it's the product of a lot of trips away when he brought lads who hadn't played at this level before and we gave them the chance to show what they could do. Now here we are with a settled squad. That's the reward for some of the work we have put in over the last couple of years."

There had been some doubts at the weekend about whether Alan Kelly, Steve Staunton and Lee Carsley, who had groin, back and ankle problems respectively, would be fit, but the Ireland boss made it clear yesterday that he has been in touch with all three and that all expect to be back in full training before the end of this week.

With another weekend of club games to come before the players assemble in Dublin next Monday, however, McCarthy has allowed for the possibility of late cover having to be drafted in, and four players - Dean Kiely of Bury, Gareth Whalley of Bradford, Wimbledon's Mark Kennedy and Fulham's Stephen Finnan - have been placed on standby.

"I saw Stephen playing for Fulham recently and I was very impressed with him, but then whenever he has been with us at under-21 level Stephen has always looked a very good player.

"I've named the lads on standby just so that they know there's a chance we'll need them. It might not come to bringing them in, but if it happens, because of an injury or whatever, it'll be good for them to come in and be involved with the squad."

Evans, meanwhile, has recalled St Patrick's Athletic striker Trevor Molloy to his 20-strong squad for the trip to Skopje. Despite playing some of his best football in the first half of the season, Molloy has been repeatedly passed over by the Irish under-21 manager in recent months, as Evans feels Daryl Clare of Grimsby is a very similar player.

This time, however, Molloy is one of five National League players in the panel. Three - Molloy, Colin Hawkins and Thomas Morgan - all come from St Patrick's who are scheduled to play UCD at Inchicore the same night as the under-21s are in action.

League leaders Cork City, meanwhile, are likely to be without Brian Barry-Murphy and Derek Coughlan (although Cough lan is due to have a scan on damaged ligaments today) for their game at home to Waterford on Sunday week.

Richard Dunne is another doubt for the under-21 game due to injury. The defender picked up a minor hamstring injury in Everton's defeat by Arsenal at the weekend. But Kerr said yesterday that he had been in touch with the Dubliner and that the injury is not considered to be too serious.

Northern Ireland manager Lawrie McMenemy has called up two fresh faces for the games against Germany and Moldova.

They are Bournemouth striker Stephen Robinson and Chesterfield defender Mark Williams.

Robinson, who has been linked with a move to Fulham, is the latest player to be tried to answer Northern Ireland's goal famine.

McMenemy said of Robinson: "We are always in the market for a goal-scorer. Stephen has shown that he has the knack in this area. He is in the squad along with Iain Dowie and James Quinn and we'll take it from there."

For Williams, 28, the international call has come late after a solid performance in the B international against Wales last month.

Recalled to the squad is Reading centre back Barry Hunter, currently on loan at Southend, and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Danny Sonner. He has just one cap to date but a series of impressive performances for his club have put him in the spotlight, but there is no place for his club mate Jim Magilton.

Senior Squad: Given (Newcastle Utd), Kelly (Sheffield Utd), Irwin (Manchester Utd), Carr (Tottenham Hotspur), Harte (Leeds Utd), Staunton (Liverpool), Cunningham (Wimbledon), Breen (Coventry City), Babb (Liverpool), Keane (Manchester Utd), McAteer (Blackburn), Kinsella (Charlton Athletic), McLoughlin (Portsmouth), Carsley (Derby County), Duff (Blackburn), Quinn (Sunderland), Cascarino (AS Nancy), Keane (Wolves), O'Neill (Norwich), Connolly (Wolves).

Under-21 Squad: O'Reilly (West Ham), O'Connor (Bradford Park Avenue), Boxall (Brentford), Hawkins (St Patrick's Athletic), Maybury (Leeds), Dunne (Everton), Coughlin (Cork City), Worrell (Blackburn), Morgan (St Patrick's Athletic), Quinn (Coventry), Mahon (Tranmere), McPhail (Leeds), Inman (Peterborough), Kilbane (West Brom), Clare (Grimsby), Fenn (Lincoln), Malloy (St Patrick's Athletic), Folan (Brentford), McKeever (Reading), Barry- Murphy (Cork).

Northern Ireland (squad to face Germany in European Championship qualifier at Windsor Park on March 27th): Taylor (Fulham), Fettis (Blackburn), Hughes (Newcastle), Williams (Chesterfield), Morrow (QPR), Patterson (Dundee Utd), Hill (Northampton), Horlock (Man City), Kennedy (Watford), Rowland (QPR), Hunter (Reading), Whitley (Man City), Gillespie (Blackburn), McCarthy (Birmingham), Lomas (West Ham), Sonner (Sheff Wed), Lennon (Leicester), Hughes (Wimbledon), Dowie (QPR), Quinn (West Brom), Rob- inson (Bournemouth).