Doyle in, McShane still a concern

Young Birmingham City goalkeeper Colin Doyle has been added to the Republic of Ireland squad for the upcoming European qualifiers against Wales and Slovakia after Wayne Henderson, who started the last game in San Marino, damaged thumb ligaments.

Doyle had been on standby as cover for Shay Given, Nicky Colgan and Henderson who, according to manager Steve Staunton, would not have trained until Thursday or Friday and even then there was no guarantee he could prove his fitness ahead of Saturday's game.

Irish under-21 international Doyle has been in tremendous form for Steve Bruce's promotion chasing Birmingham since displacing Northern Ireland goalkeeper Maik Taylor last month.  Indeed, he has kept five clean sheets in the 10 league games he has started since the start of February.

Defender Paul McShane remains an injury concern but Staunton expects the West Bromwich Albion youngster to resume training this week despite damaging ankle ligaments playing for his club at the weekend.

The Dubliner shipped the knock during the Championship draw against Birmingham but finished a game in which he scored against Doyle.  Staunton is hopeful McShane will be fit to train in Malahide by Thursday but tomorrow's session at Croke Park is likely to come too soon.

"I was supposed to have flown to Ireland on Sunday night but my ankle would have swollen up on the plane," McShane said.

"I am getting treatment and it feels okay but we will just have to wait and see how it goes over the next few days. I have been looking forward to the Wales game for ages and I want to give myself the best chance of playing but I will make sure I am 100 per cent fit to go into the game."

Uncapped Wigan striker Caleb Folan and Henderson are, therefore, the only players Staunton must plan without although other members of his squad either sat out or took limited part in this evening's first training session at the match venue.

Reading winger Stephen Hunt sustained a minor foot knock after accidentally kicking a team-mate's boot but although suffering some discomfort, Staunton has no lasting fears over the Waterford man's fitness and availability.

Stephen Ireland has a minor ankle problem and has yet to join the squad but the Manchester City midfielder is due at the team hotel in Dublin tomorrow and is expected to train later in the week. Steve Finnan and Lee Carsley worked just half the session owing to their respective club games on Sunday, Staunton affording them added recuperation time.

"It wouldn't be a squad without injuries," bemoaned Staunton. "But, while the stands are empty now, they'll be full on Saturday. It is going to be great to see the Irish fans in here waving flags and going mad."

John Oster, meanwhile, has criticised manager John Toashack for omitting him from the Wales squad. Despite struggling to break into the Reading team, the midfielder is miffed at his ongoing exclusion, so much so he has lost all desire to represent his country.

"Unless John Toshack phones me up and explains why he has left me out and picked players from Yeovil and Shrewsbury etc then I personally don't want to play," he said. "He hasn't given me an explanation. I don't know anything about the bloke. I have never spoken to him at all or ever come across him. So I don't know if he just doesn't like me as a person or a player or what.

"But there's no doubt I have got more quality than some of the players he is putting in the squad. Craig Bellamy phoned me up the other week asking me to speak to him [Toshack], but there's no way I'm going to. He is obviously too stubborn a person to speak to me and so that's the way it is. But I will be watching their game. I obviously want the lads to do well."

Saturday's game is sold out with 74,000 supporters due through the turnstiles.  The capacity is reduced from that of a GAA matchday because of bucket seats installed on Hill 16 to accommodate the visiting support.

The Football Association of Wales have sold 4500 tickets of their 6500 allocation and the remaining 2000 have been returned to the FAI and distributed to Irish supporters on waiting lists.  No tickets will be sold publicly.

"We did send some tickets back," FAW secretary general David Collins said.  "We had a deadline within which we had to return any unsold tickets, but the game will certainly see the biggest away support we've had since Milan (a 4-0 loss to Italy in September 2003)."