Denis Irwin's recovery from a damaged knee, coupled with Kenny Cunningham's encouraging rate of progress from a similar injury, is responsible for a new upbeat mood in the approach to Ireland's European Championship play-off against Turkey at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

Irwin arrived in Dublin from Manchester last evening convinced that eight days' rest has sufficed to repair the damage sustained in a tackle during Manchester United's European Champions League win over Sturm Graz.

Like Cunningham, he hasn't yet subjected his knee to any real pressure since being injured but professional intuition tells him there will be no real problem when he does so.

"I've had a good rest, long enough to be looking forward to playing again and at this point everything seems to be fine," he said. "At some point I'll be testing my knee but probably not before Friday."

Mick McCarthy makes the valid point that not until players have kicked a ball can suspect medial ligaments be properly tested but he is optimistic that both players will be fit to start. Like the rest of the Irish squad, Cunningham had a relaxed day yesterday when McCarthy changed the setting from the squad's customary base at Dublin Airport to Kilkea Castle, close to Castledermot. Instead of the normal field training most of the day was given over to work in the gymnasium and sessions in the swimming pool.

The most important segment of the programme was the tactical discussion which took account of the different game plans to be adopted over the two legs of the tie.

McCarthy acknowledged the need to win the first game decisively enough to provide a reassuring buffer for the potential hazards of the return fixture in Bursa next Wednesday. But he refuses to share the popular belief that it will be an unrelenting, backs-to-the-wall stand for his players in Turkey.

"In the accepted format of international football Turkey, as the home team, will be chasing the game from the kick-off," says McCarthy. "But that doesn't mean that there won't be anything in it for our front men.

"On the contrary, they may have more chances of getting into the 18-yard area than in the Dublin game in which the Turks, for all their new flair, are likely to be preoccupied with the task of stopping us scoring.

"Our experience of play-off ties, whether in the World Cup or the European Championship, is that if you don't do the business at home you're dicing with trouble and, given the kind of journey we face next week, it's more valid than ever on this occasion."

Traditionally, the Ireland manager goes public with his team selections on the eve of big games but given the doubts, albeit diminishing, over the fitness of Irwin and Cunningham, it's possible he will opt to wait until just before the kick-off before committing himself to a formation on this occasion.

Assuming both players make the deadline, his only problem in defence will be naming a replacement for the injured Steve Staunton, pilloried on occasions this season but now a significant absentee in terms of lost experience.

Among the manager's options is the switch of Irwin to left back with Tottenham's Stephen Carr earning a recall at right back. Alternatively, he can go for a straight swap with Ian Harte, a specialist left back, slotting into the vacancy.

Harte has made a huge contribution to Leeds' burgeoning prosperity this season and the Drogheda man looks set for his first Ireland start in nine months. McCarthy's other problem, one suspects, will be deciding whether Rory Delap's current form overrides his relative lack of experience at international level when it comes to deciding who plays on the right side of midfield in the absence of Gary Kelly and Mark Kennedy.

The alternative would be to go with Jason McAteer, vastly experienced in the demands of international football, but currently short of match practice after playing only one full game for Blackburn since returning from injury.

For many, that's no choice at all and Delap's impressive form for Derby this season would appear to stamp him as a valuable asset.

If selected, Delap is ready: "It will obviously be the biggest game of my career if I get the call but I've enough self-belief to know that if given the chance I will not let anyone down," he said.

"Coming off the bench in my three earlier appearances in the team was a great experience but to start a game of this importance would be something else. Players dream of chances like this and if it comes, I'm ready."