Brian Kerr has included Nottingham Forest loan signing Stephen McPhail and Alan Lee of Cardiff in a squad of 24 for the Euro 2004 qualifier against Russia on Saturday September 6th and for the friendly against Turkey, the following Tuesday September 9th at Lansdowne Road.
As had been expected, Tottenham striker Robbie Keane is an absentee, with an ankle injury he picked up during Ireland's 2-1 friendly victory over Australia. The inclusion of McPhail and Lee and the exclusion of Keane are the only changes from the squad of 23 that Kerr named for that friendly clash.
Kerr explained that McPhail's loan move from Leeds to Nottingham Forest and the fact that he is now playing first team football, was a major factor in him earning a place in the squad. "It's good that Stephen is getting first team football at Forest and he impressed me with his overall performance over the 90 minutes against Coventry. This not a time for blooding new potential talent. If necessary we may call up other players for the friendly with Turkey," he said.
Elsewhere, Everton's Lee Carsley and Blackburn's Steven Reid have been both been recalled to the squad after they pulled out of the squad for the Australian clash through injury.
Kerr revealed that Carsley has been undergoing intensive physiotherapy on his injury and he expects him to be fit for the Russian clash. He said: "Lee Carsley has been receiving intensive treatment on the knee injury that has kept him out of the game for three weeks. Now he's hoping to be in his club's squad for the Merseyside derby against Liverpool at Goodison Park on Saturday."
Republic of Ireland sqaud: Given (Newcastle), Colgan (Stockport), Murphy (West Brom), O'Shea (Man Utd), Carr (Tottenham), Cunningham (Birmingham), Breen (Sunderland), O'Brien (Newcastle), Harte (Leeds), Dunne (Man City), Finnan (Liverpool), Carsley (Everton), Healy (Sunderland), Holland (Charlton), Kinsella (Aston Villa), McPhail (Leeds), Kilbane (Sunderland), Reid (Blackburn), Quinn (Sheff Wed), Duff (Chelsea), Doherty (Tottenham), Morrison (Birmingham), Connolly (West Ham), Lee (Cardiff)
Filed by Rob Wright
