INTERNATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: KEVIN DOYLE'S importance to the Irish team's chances of qualifying for the World Cup is set to be underlined this afternoon when manager Giovanni Trapattoni is expected to name the Reading striker in his squad for the forthcoming games against Nigeria and Bulgaria despite the fact the Wexfordman is carrying an Achilles tendon injury that is almost certain to keep him out of both matches.
The 25-year-old striker picked up the problem in the first of Reading’s recent English League Championship play-off games against Burnley and a scan last week suggested it would be four to six weeks before he would be fit enough to train fully.
Trapattoni, though, seems set to include him in what is likely to be a slightly enlarged panel anyway with the Italian looking to give a man who has become one of his most important players as much time as possible to recover before a final call is made in relation to his availability for the qualifying match in Sofia on June 6th.
The Italian is already without Doyle’s Reading team-mate Noel Hunt with the former Shamrock Rovers striker resigned to getting himself fit for pre-season training after fracturing a bone in his foot towards the end of the Championship side’s season.
The injuries could prompt a recall for Sunderland’s Daryl Murphy although Caleb Folan now looks more strongly placed to profit from Doyle’s likely absence while Shane Long’s strong finish to the season will presumably have boosted his chances of playing some part in the two games.
It remains to be seen the extent to which the Trapattoni acts on his suggestion, in the wake of the draw in Bari, that he would give chances to a couple of peripheral players against Nigeria in Craven Cottage on Friday week. It has been known for a couple of weeks that Stoke City had been notified Liam Lawrence is on course for a call-up after what has been a good Premier League campaign for the former Sunderland midfielder.
Keith Fahey’s central role in helping Birmingham City wrap up automatic promotion back to the Premier League seems less likely to be rewarded, however, and there is little prospect of either his clubmate Lee Carsley or fellow outcast Andy Reid being brought back in from the cold.
Trapattoni, though, will be pleased that most of his regulars appear to be in good shape. Damien Duff has been playing regularly for the last few weeks (albeit at left back) for Newcastle and barring a mishap against Aston Villa next Saturday, the winger should return after missing Ireland’s most recent qualifiers through injury.
After another fine performance in Manchester United’s title-clinching draw with Arsenal on Saturday, John O’Shea looks set to play a big role in Sofia too although it will be interesting to hear today whether Trapattoni intends bringing him for the friendly which takes place just 48 hours after the Champions League final against Barcelona in Rome where the Waterford man looks likely to be a starter.
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