Keane out of crucial Skopje tie

Roy Keane has officially withdrawn from the Republic of Ireland squad for the European Championship Group Eight qualifier in Macedonia on October 9th. Mattie Holland of Ipswich Town is Keane's likely replacement in the squad.

Before his withdrawal, Keane briefed Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy yesterday on the latest medical reports on his ongoing knee problem which kept him out of Manchester United's match with Southampton at the weekend.

The player has been reassured by the prognosis that rest can cure the problem. Surgery will only be recommended if a break of three weeks from competition fails to yield the required result.

The bad news for Republic of Ireland fans is that Keane's enforced break coincides with the most important assignment McCarthy's team has undertaken since the 2-1 defeat by Belgium in the second leg of their World Cup play-off in Brussels two years ago. Coincidentally, Keane also missed that game.

The manager doesn't attempt to disguise the loss of his most influential player, but believes the younger players in the side are now better equipped for the task of ensuring qualification.

"It's not as if they are facing into a new situation as Roy, unfortunately, has missed three of our last four European games," he said. "Of course, it makes the job that much harder, but I believe there is still enough maturity left in the side to cope.

"We cannot under any circumstance allow ourselves to travel with a negative approach. This is the culmination of two years hard work. At the end of the day we've got to believe that we still have the resources to go and win the game."

The Manchester United midfielder is one of three experienced international campaigners out of contention for the Skopje assignment, joining Shay Given and Ian Harte on a list which, hopefully, will not extend after next weekend's club programme in England.

With Alan Kelly's confidence burgeoning in the wake of his Ireland performances this season, Given's loss is not as serious as it might have been and, even with a clean bill of health, Harte would have struggled to make the starting line-up.

Harte has been troubled by a cartilage problem since the opening weeks of the season and it is understood that the decision to undergo surgery now rather than wait for another few weeks was his and not that of the Leeds management team.

He had one of his most effective games of the new campaign in the 3-2 win over Newcastle United on Saturday while Steve Carr emphasised his growing maturity with his first Premiership goal for Tottenham in the 1-1 draw with Wimbledon.

Carr's emergence over the last six months as an outstanding international prospect has put the Leeds player's hopes of an Ireland recall at additional risk. Yet, with Denis Irwin fully fit again and Steve Staunton likely to continue as team captain in the absence of Keane the chances are that the Tottenham man will revert to the bench in Skopje.

Lee Carsley will now be entrusted with the responsibility of anchoring the midfield.

Together with Holland, Mark Kennedy was under the spotlight when McCarthy went to Portman Road to watch Ipswich beat Manchester City 2-1 on Sunday and again impressed as a player who has regained much of his old confidence.

Yet, there is a growing belief that Gary Kelly will now be entrusted with the right-sided midfield role in Macedonia, leaving Kennedy and Kevin Kilbane to contest the wide position on the other flank.

The Ireland players are due in Dublin next Monday at the start of a protracted build-up to the game. The exception will be David Connolly, who has been given permission to remain behind in Holland to play for his club, Excelsior, in a league game that evening.

Meanwhile, McCarthy is likely to sign a new two-year contract as national team manager before he leaves for the Macedonia game in Skopje.

McCarthy has made it a condition of his new arrangement that Ian Evans, thought to be under pressure from some quarters, will continue to be part of the management team. McCarthy is upset by speculation to the contrary and believes that his assistant has not received the credit he is due for behind-the-scenes work.

In particular, McCarthy believes Evans was largely responsible for convincing Andy O'Brien, the highly-rated Bradford defender, to pursue a career with the Republic rather than England.