THE FAI remains hopeful that the news regarding Shane Long’s chances of featuring in next month’s European Championship games against Estonia might be better by the time Giovanni Trapattoni names his preliminary squad for the games this Friday. But the initial news seemed bad yesterday with the player’s club suggesting that he faces a lay-off of up to six weeks.
A scan on the knee injured in what was a pretty bad challenge by Alan Hutton early on in West Brom’s defeat of Aston Villa, has shown that the 24-year-old’s cruciate ligaments are undamaged but, according to the club’s website there is: “severe bone bruising and a small bone chip inside the right knee”.
The club’s report says that the striker faces a stint on the sidelines of up to six weeks, a timescale that would comfortably rule him out of both games but the association was more optimistic last night suggesting that the medical staff had indicated to it that it is too early to say at this stage how long the Irishman’s recovery might take but that his progress will be monitored over the course of this week.
Long’s availability is a particular concern as Kevin Doyle is suspended for the first leg of the play-offs on November 11th in Tallinn, while Robbie Keane is a doubt for both of them due to his of injury.
Trapattoni’s other options in attack include Long’s club mate Simon Cox as well as Stoke City striker, Jonathan Walters, each of whom has done fairly well when given the opportunity at international level.
But the loss of the former Reading striker would clearly be a setback for the Italian given his form since moving to the Hawthorns at the end of the summer.
Andy Keogh will hope that his recent form for Leeds has made as much of an impression on Trapattoni as it has on Simon Grayson who says that he may look to sign the Irishman permanently from Wolves when his loan spell at Elland Road runs out in January.
“It’s a possibility but it would really be down to Mick McCarthy and Wolves, depending on what they want to do with him,” he said.
“Mick wanted to get him out on loan to give him some games and get him in the shop window but he might look at what Andy’s done here and think ‘we’ll have him back in January’. He’s got better and sharper and he’s doing something right because he’s keeping (Luciano) Becchio out of the team.”
RTÉ have confirmed that it will broadcast both the Tallinn match and the one back in Dublin four days later on television, radio and its website. The two matches are scheduled to kick-off at 7.45 Irish time and the television coverage will start at 7.0.
