McCarthy names squad for Denmark - February 14,
2000
Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy has named his squad this morning for the forthcoming friendly against Denmark - and it's disappointment for Bradford's Andy O'Brien, Sporting Lisbon's Phil Babb and Middlesbrough's Keith O'Neill.
The manager has seen a potentially disruptive injury crisis go a long way towards resolving itself in the last week, with Dean Kiely, Mark Kinsella, Steve Carr, Niall Quinn and Kenny Cunningham all considered fit enough for selection.
That leaves Mark Kennedy, Gary Kelly and Dominic Foley as the only definite casualties. Shay Given dislocated a finger playing for Newcastle against Charlton on Sunday but is named in the squad.
Kenny Cunningham's return is his first involvement with an Irish squad since the friendly against Greece last April. Coventry's Gary Breen and Manchester City's Richard Dunne - the men in possession of the 4 and 5 jersies - are also included and McCarthy had already committed himself to taking a look at Tottenham defender Gary Doherty and that means no place for Babb.
The boss also promised to include Bradford's Andy O'Brien - but that was before he knew Cunningham would be fit. Reintergrating the Wimbledon defender before the World Cup matches against Cyprus and Andorra is obviously the priority now.
There is no place again for Middlesbrough's Keith O'Neill who has been playing well under Terry Venables. O'Neill tweaked his back at the weekend but reported fit. The former Norwich man has not been selected since the disastrous draw in Macedonia in October 1999 and feels he is being blamed for the injury-time goal that cost Ireland a place at Euro 2000.
Republic of Ireland squad v Denmark, February 28
Goalkeepers: Alan Kelly
(Blackburn Rovers), Shay Given (Newcastle
United), Dean Kiely (Charlton Athletic)
Defenders: Stephen Carr (Tottenham Hotspur), Kenny
Cunningham (Wimbledon), Ian Harte (Leeds
United), Steve Staunton (Aston Villa), Gary Breen (Coventry City), Richard
Dunne (Manchester City), Gary Doherty
(Leeds United)
Midfielders: Roy Keane (Manchester United), Mark
Kinsella (Charlton Athletic), Steve Finnan
(Fulham), Jason McAteer (Blackburn Rovers), Kevin Kilbane (Sunderland), Lee Carsley
(Coventry City), Rory Delap (Derby County),
Matt Holland
(Ipswich Town)
Forwards: Niall Quinn (Sunderland), David
Connolly (Feyenoord), Robbie Keane
(Internazionale Milan), Damien Duff
(Blackburn Rovers)