Keane's injury may be costly for United

Alex Ferguson is reserving judgment on Roy Keane's prospects of leading Manchester United against Juventus in the European Champions League tomorrow, following his latest injury at Elland Road at the weekend.

Keane emerged from an ill-advised confrontation with Alf Inge Haaland with a yellow card and a knee injury which may already threaten United's prospects of upstaging the Italians. His knee was too inflamed to permit of an X-ray examination on Sunday and while the swelling has since subsided, it has not been possible to ascertain the full extent of the damage.

After requiring the assistance of a crutch to leave Leeds on Saturday, it was no surprise that Keane did not take part in either of yesterday's two training sessions and it is still uncertain if he will train today.

Ferguson declined to comment on speculation that Keane is to see a specialist for a more precise medical report today, but admitted that the player is an unlikely starter tomorrow.

"It's a bad knock and, at this point, he's extremely doubtful," he said. "We'll wait to the last minute if there is a possibility of Roy being cleared to play."

Keane's absence would take some of the sheen from Ferguson's anticipated statement that Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Andy Cole are available for selection after being deemed unfit for the game at Leeds.

Injury apart Keane's name will not be in the frame when Mick McCarthy announces his preliminary squad tomorrow for Ireland's last qualifying game in Group Eight against Romania at Lansdowne Road, a week on Saturday.

The automatic suspension which followed a second yellow card in Lithuania, takes effect for that game, effectively relieving McCarthy of a highly sensitive decision in his match strategy.

Apart from Keane, he has 11 other players on yellow cards and with qualification for the play-offs almost assured, his problem is whether to risk the wrath of FIFA and leave them out of his team.

That way, he would remove the threat of losing them through suspension for the play-offs and all the signs are that he will, in fact, opt for safety measures in his team selection.

Although he refused to comment on his likely plan of action yesterday, it is fair to assume that he will put expediency before all else and go with the risk of antagonising those in authority in Switzerland. He will still name several of the yellow-carded players in the squad but, for the most part, they will act as back up.

The net result should be one of the more interesting selections of McCarthy's reign, with some often disappointed players, coming back into contention. Among them will be Curtis Fleming, the Middlesborough full back who, apart from the home game against Liechtenstein, has not played for Ireland since last summer's tour to America. That was before Middlesbrough's roller-coaster season in which Fleming, almost ever present, saw his team-mates miss out on both the FA Cup and League Cup before suffering the ultimate indignity of relegation from the Premiership.

Through it all, however, the Dubliner attained an impressive level of performance. Although numbered among the support cast for Juninho, Ravanelli, Emerson and Co, his was a contribution which was later acclaimed by Bryan Robson for both its consistency and its buoyancy. Unfortunately for Fleming, McCarthy is frequently embarrassed by the number of options available to him at full back with players like Dennis Irwin, Gary Kelly, Jeff Kenna, Steve Staunton and Terry Phelan all competing for recognition.

Phelan is the only one of that quintet who has no current disciplinary record going into the Romanian game and he would appears well placed to add to his total of caps.

Another who enters that category is his clubmate Alan Moore. Like Fleming, Moore was capped soon after McCarthy took over but this year he has seen his career at club and international level resricted by injury problems. If he gets the all-clear from Bryan Robson, McCarthy will offer him the chance of rehabilitation against the Romanians.

Gareth Farrelly, excluded last season largely because he was denied regular first team football with Aston Villa, may reap an early reward for his decision to move to Everton and there is also every possibility that Millwall's Dave Savage will be back in the fold.

McCarthy said yesterday there had been no response to his invitation to the young Everton player Danny Cadamarteri to contact him.

But the response from Southampton striker, Michael Evans, has been a lot more encouraging. It now looks as if Evans, whose Irish grandmother is still alive, could embark on an Ireland career early in the new year.