Connolly struggling for fitness - March 14,
2001
With the loss of Niall Quinn from the Irish squad, manager Mick McCarthy cannot afford to lose another striker for the crunch games against Cyprus and Andorra - but this could be a distinct possibility with the news that David Connolly is struggling.
The Feyenoord man played the full 90 minutes in the club's weekend league defeat at the hands of Willem II but he suffered a knock in the game which has kept him out of training for the past three days.
McCarthy was planning on playing Connolly with Robbie Keane in the Denmark game before the postponement because of the absence of Quinn and he would have contemplated the same against Cyprus on March 24.
Without Quinn and Connolly Ireland would only be left with one striker in the squad - so Gary Doherty could well be used in his unfavoured position up front.
Rory Delap, Kevin Kilbane and Damien Duff - on the mark last night - provide other options.