POST-MATCH REACTION:ROBBIE Keane strolled past. There will be life after the LA Galaxy striker but with the European championships play-offs looming and Kevin Doyle suspended for the first leg, nobody in Ireland wants that glimpse into the future to become the present as soon as next month.
Keane is up against the clock now. The first leg is Friday, November 11th. You are not going to let your Irish career finish like this? “Ah no, I’ll be desperate to go to the Euros. I’ll do everything I can and I’m sure the lads will as well.” We are all about to become experts in adductor muscle injuries.
“The injury is a four- to six-week (healing process),” he explained. We did our sums. Four weeks is the Tuesday before the next game. In six weeks it will be all over. It is a grade two tear. The second worst possible kind. It happened as he turned to shoot for Doyle’s goal in Andorra.
“I felt it. When you are playing you just switch off, go through the pain.” He may need to do so again. Keane returns to LA tomorrow where he assures us the best possible medical treatment is available. We believe him.
“It will be touch and go, to be honest with you. Depends how quick it heals. I will get another scan when I get back (to LA) to see if it has settled down.
“Hopefully it is not as bad as the first scan – the next day after a game there is a lot of bleeding. Maybe it has settled down. I saw the specialist yesterday and got an injection to speed the recovery up.”
The decision to inject was taken on advice of the Galaxy doctor. The Americans also want their second most prized possession back in the soccer rectangle as soon as possible.
Keane’s face scrunches up at the mention of Doyle’s yellow card.
“I don’t know if the referee was just trying to even things out,” said Glenn Whelan. “Especially in England, with Kevin’s two challenges, he probably would have got one booking but I don’t think he would have got two for the same thing. Same as usual – the foreigners coming and crying like they are women.
“No, what can you do? Kevin is disappointed. I think he said it is the first time he was sent off in his professional career and no one wants that. He’ll get his head up and be raring to go for the second leg.”
Keane added: “Bit harsh, he just jumped with the player. It is a massive loss, but it gives others an opportunity. Shane Long is waiting.”
It is now apparent Giovanni Trapattoni has separated his strikers into two categories. Long is Doyle’s understudy, while Simon Cox and Jonathan Walters provide cover for Keane.
It indicates a stronger squad is now available than the play-offs against France two years ago.
“I think we are a lot stronger. Strength in depth is a lot better. The players have a lot more experience now. We are in a very, very good position at the moment.”
We believe him. We have to.
