Everton winger Kevin Kilbane looks set to be ruled out of the Republic of Ireland's four end-of-season friendly matches. Kilbane will have a month's complete rest but is now almost certain to have a summer operation to cure a long-standing ankle problem.
If that happens he will be pulled out of the Irish squad for matches against Romania, on May 27, Nigeria (May 29), Jamaica (June 2) and Holland (June 5).
Everton Physio Mick Rathbone said: "Kevin has got a chronic ankle problem, which has developed over the past three or four years, whereby when he really strikes a ball hard he gets pain deep in his ankle.
"There are a couple of little pieces of bone which have grown in the past few years and they may need fishing out in the summer. What we are going to do is give him one month of complete rest and reassess the situation, so it is 50-50 whether he needs an operation."
Manager David Moyes added: "He has been playing with the pain for some time and we would rather he got it sorted out before pre-season. Kevin may require a minor ankle operation because he is in pain when he strikes the ball. That could mean he would miss games for the Republic."
Filed by Johnny Proby
