Robson set to resume role with Staunton

Bobby Robson is set to recommence his role as adviser to Republic of Ireland manager Steve Staunton ahead of next month's European Championship qualifier against San Marino after being told by his doctors that he is well enough to work again.

The 73-year-old former England manager officially confirmed to his employers he will be coming back when he met Staunton and the FAI's chief executive, John Delaney, in England yesterday.

He has missed the last four of the six games played by Ireland since he was appointed at the start of the year after undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumour. He previously had a tumour removed from his lung, a problem discovered after sustaining a rib injury while skiing.

"I have been given the all-clear by the doctors and I am looking forward to getting back to doing the job I was employed to do," said Robson yesterday. "Although I have been in regular contact with Steve Staunton and John Delaney by telephone, I missed being able to link up with the squad and attend the games. But the FAI, and in particular John and Stephen, have been wonderfully supportive . . .

"I desperately want to repay them in the coming months by helping Stephen and the squad build on the excellent performance against the Czech Republic and show the result against Cyprus was a one-off."

Delaney, in a statement issued by the FAI, said he is "delighted" Robson is fit to resume his consultancy role. "In the short period before his illness he showed us a glimpse of how much he can contribute and we look forward to benefiting from his vast experience in the months ahead."

Staunton, who appears to have struck up a warm rapport with the veteran, said he views it as "a great boost to know he has been cleared to travel and attend matches".

Robson, who is believed to earn around €200,000 per annum for his work with the association, is hugely active in other areas of the game with the former Ipswich, Barcelona and England manager holding down a wide range of media, speaking and coaching commitments.

After what has been a particularly tough year his employers now hope he will be able to see out the remainder of his two-year contract. Meanwhile, both men will, it seems, have to plan for the next few qualifying games without Blackburn Rovers midfielder Steven Reid who has been diagnosed as having a stress fracture in his back.

The 25-year-old sustained the injury during the qualifying game against Germany in Stuttgart at the start of September and hasn't played since. It is now expected he will be out for about four months, ruling him out of both games against San Marino and making him a major doubt for the home games against Wales and Slovakia in March.

"The last few weeks have been really frustrating," said Reid, who saw a chiropractor in an effort to cure the problem. "I've been pulled and twisted all over the place in recent weeks in the hope of sorting out the injury. But then last week I had another scan and it showed up a stress fracture which now means I face six to eight weeks of total rest followed by six to eight weeks of getting my fitness back. I'm totally gutted and devastated by all of this . . ."