Martin O'Neill took some obvious pleasure yesterday in announcing that Roy Keane future's is, as far as he is concerned, "on the backburner", at least until next week. The Republic of Ireland manager knocked back requests for his reaction to the Aston Villa link with the suggestion it can wait until after the Portugal game. "Nothing," he observed, "will happen until after that."

The manager seemed relieved there was something, anything else to talk about yesterday even if the most obvious thing was injuries and the players who missed out on the team flight yesterday afternoon.

Ciarán Clark, Jon Walters and Stephen Ward were all left behind as he and the bulk of the squad finally headed to the United States for the games against Costa Rica and Portugal although O'Neill hasn't completely given up on seeing one or two of them again during the next few days.

The Aston Villa defender does appear to have been written off for now with an injury to his knee, despite all the attention, finally ruling him out of the trip but Walters still hopes to fly out over the next 48 hours if the virus he is suffering from clears up.

Ward, who was given additional days off, is expected to be stateside in time for the Portugal game.

Shorthanded

“We have 20 players travelling,” he said as the squad left Gannon Park for a quick stop-off at their hotel prior to heading to the airport. “That includes the goalkeepers, and we have Robbie going out there.”

The loss of Ward leaves O'Neill shorthanded at left back but Marc Wilson, he says, could start there against Costa Rica.

In just about every other department, the manager has options and he could the opportunity to make significant changes despite being very pleased with the way the game against Italy went.

“I thought the performance was terrific really,” he says. “I thought we could and should have won the game. I think that has been the case in the last couple of matches.

“We’ve created some really great chances and we haven’t been able to take them. We had a chance in the last couple of minutes where young Quinn should have scored and I’ve berated him ever since . . . that’s a joke.

“In terms of confidence that’s given us a big boost,” he continued.

“We’ve lost a couple of main players obviously for the trip to America, but we’ll see. This is what we’ve always intended anyway, that with other players stepping in, it gives me this opportunity to see them between now and September time.”

Even now, one or two others might get a chance to catch his eye for he has not, he says, ruled out the possibility of drafting additional players in if any of the current group looks like they are finally running out of steam in Philadelphia where the Costa Rica game kicks off at 1am Irish time on Friday night.

Accepting role

His comments on the matter, even as he was refusing to comment on the matter, seemed to suggest the possibility of Keane accepting the offer of a role from Aston Villa is very much a runner but either way, it seems, the 42-year-old will be around the Ireland set-up for a while and that, O’Neill insisted, is a good thing.

“Naturally, I’m absolutely delighted (that Keane chose not to leave for Celtic) not necessarily from a personal viewpoint although I’ve got to know him much better in recent times. But really in terms of the impact he’s made here with the players, with the backroom staff, with everyone here and, I actually think, with the general public.

“So from all those viewpoints I think it’s really good news. I think he enjoys it, I’ve said that before. I wasn’t exactly sure what might happen with him and Celtic; I was always hoping that he might stay with us but was never sure. But I’m delighted that it happened.”

As for Villa, there may be more talks to be had after the coming week’s games but O’Neill doesn’t appear to be unduly put out by the prospect of the dual role if that is what Keane does indeed decide to do in a week or two.

But just for the now, though, he really doesn’t want to call it: “I think you think I’m a soothsayer,” he says with a grin, “that I can just predict the future. I wish I could – I might be in better shape than I am.”