Soccer:Giovanni Trapattoni stuck with what, or rather who, he knows when naming his starting line-up for tomorrow night's friendly against Norway. The Republic of Ireland manager will not begin with any newcomers for the friendly, but has offered Greg Cunningham his second start at international level ahead in the absence of Kevin Kilbane.
It means Everton’s Seamus Coleman and the Stoke City pair of Marc Wilson and Jon Walters are likely to make their first appearances off the bench.
Having seen his squad decimated by the withdrawal of 10 players, the Italian might have opted to drop at least one of the three in from the start against Egil Olsen’s side, but declined the opportunity.
“I cannot put three or four young players in together, I need to mix them with the senior players,” said the manager. “But Seamus can play good football and he is not frightened of the ball. Some players when they have the ball are afraid, but he is not. He has a lot of character.”
Nevertheless, there are also rare starts for Darren O’Dea at centre back, Keith Fahey in midfield alongside Glenn Whelan and Shane Long up front with Kevin Doyle. With Richard Dunne, Seán St Ledger and Paul McShane nursing injuries, O’Dea will partner Manchester United’s John O’Shea, alongside Cunningham and Fulham defender Stephen Kelly, who is preferred to Kevin Foley of Wolves.
The flanks will be manned by Liam Lawrence on the right and Damien Duff on the left, with Aiden McGeady and Preston North End’s Keith Treacy hoping to see some action off the bench. Despite having a broken bone in his hand, Doyle will partner Long up front but, with no other recognised strikers on the bench, Walters can expect to get a run at some stage. Shay Given will captain the side with Robbie Keane injured.
Trapattoni believes the 19-year-old Cunningham has it in him to take over from Kilbane in the future. The latter admitted he did consider retiring from international football in the wake of Ireland’s heartbreaking World Cup play-off exit in France a year ago, but stayed on to fight another campaign.
Cunningham is currently on loan at Leicester City from Manchester City. Trapattoni, who has spoken to Leicester boss Sven-Goran Eriksson about the youngster, says he is a "good footballer".
"When he has the ball, he immediately sees the pass, and he has good personality. Sure, we are missing Kilbane, but slowly, slowly, we have to look at other players and their strengths and I am sure he can play well because he has good character.”
City goalkeeper Given has seen first hand what Cunningham can do, while he has also watched Coleman's progress with interest.
“I have been impressed with Greg since I have been at Manchester City. He has been training with the first team and didn’t look out of place. Now it’s important that he is out at Leicester and he’s playing games. I am sure come tomorrow night, he won’t look out of place at all. He is very composed on the ball, he is good going forward as well and he is a good defender, so he has got all the attributes to be around the Irish team for a long number of years.
“Seamus has got a huge future ahead of him too. He has shown in his displays for Everton how good a player he is both defensively and going forward. He is a very exciting player. Not too long ago, he was playing for Sligo Rovers, so it’s a huge rise for Seamus in a short space of time and it’s fantastic he is in the Irish squad now.
“I do believe he will be around for a long time. He is a very exciting player.”
Republic of Ireland:Given (c), Kelly, O'Shea, O'Dea, Cunningham, Lawrence, Fahey, Whelan, Duff, Long, Doyle.