A collective sigh of relief reverberated around Ireland yesterday as the news broke that captain Roy Keane will be fit to take his place against Holland on Saturday.

While the match is a tough assignment for Ireland, it would have been made impossible with the absence of Keane from the heart of the midfield.

Despite the upset of the Babb-Kennedy affair everything else has gone well for manager Mick McCarthy. He has probably his strongest players available - well, all except Kenny Cunningham - and will go into Saturday's game with a lot of confidence.

Ireland won't get a better chance of beating the Dutch as they have a catalogue of injuries including the latest, Patrick Kluivert, who injured his foot in training yesterday. With Stam, Overmars and Davids all out and Bergkamp after retiring, it can't get much better.

McCarthy is likely to start the game with a 4-4-2 formation with Robbie Keane and record-chaser Niall Quinn leading the line. Both players are on good form and they should prove a very good test for the Glasgow Rangers back two of Konterman and Ricksen.

Roy Keane will surely get no better chance to control a midfield in an international game with the absence of Davids. Holland are left lightweight without the Juventus midfielder.

Keane will be ably assisted in the centre by Charlton's Mark Kinsella with Gary Kelly and Kevin Kilbane on the flanks.

Carr, Breen, Dunne and Harte will have the job of stopping the Dutch forwards from getting in at goalkeeper Alan Kelly. Carr and Harte have match fitness this season but while Carr is playing great the same could not be said about Harte.

The Irish left-back had so much trouble when Leeds faced 1860 Munich that David O'Leary had to switch Danny Mills from the right to the left to cover his frailties.

Breen and Dunne have been watching their football this season from the sidelines. Breen did start the season with Coventry but suffered from double vision and has yet to win his place back.

Dunne is not wanted at Everton and a proposed move to Wimbledon has stalled. If he plans a long future in the green of Ireland he will have to get himself a first-team place in club football as soon as possible.

Mick McCarthy could pick any of his three goalkeepers and be confident of their performances. We are blessed with three world-class goalkeepers and all three have started the new season in spectacular fashion.

Given and Kiely have done nothing wrong but Mick will opt for Alan Kelly whom he made his number one during the Euro 2000 qualifiers.

Ireland probable: Alan Kelly, Stephen Carr, Gary Breen, Richard Dunne, Ian Harte, Gary Kelly, Roy Keane, Mark Kinsella, Kevin Kilbane, Robbie Keane, Niall Quinn.