EURO 2004 QUALIFYING: Clinton Morrison and Steve Finnan were yesterday included in the squad for the Republic of Ireland's game against Russia next week after shaking off injury problems that prevented both players from taking part in the recent 3-0 win over Finland.

Phil Babb and John O'Shea are also among the 22 players named by Mick McCarthy for what promises to be the team's most demanding test of the forthcoming European Championship qualifying campaign. Babb's return ends a two-year international exile that began when he was arrested on a night out with Mark Kennedy during the build-up to the opening match of the last qualifying campaign.

When he signed for Sunderland back in May, he said he hoped the move might help to rekindle his international career and he has now been granted his wish. When announcing the decision to include the 31-year-old centre half, McCarthy said that he had received good reports on the defender's early season form but had also taken into consideration the fact that he has the potential to cover Ian Harte at left back, an area in which the Ireland manager is short of options in the wake of Steve Staunton's retirement from the international game.

"To have a naturally left-sided defender in there is definitely an asset," he said. "We had one for long enough in Steve and now Phil will give us an option there, too, although I've talked often enough about how much I feel Hartey brings to the team."

He subsequently suggested that he would give Manchester United left back Paul Tiernan, who he said had greatly impressed him while playing for the under-21s recently, a run-out for the senior team during the friendly against Greece in November.

O'Shea, he said, "always stood a very good chance of making the squad if he was playing regularly for his club and he has been doing that".

" He's a very gifted player and has all the necessary attributes to be outstanding in the future. In that position he'll get better with age because he'll pick up experience. But he's earned his place in the squad and while Gary Breen and Kenny Cunningham will be the ones to play if they're both fit, you never know when he might get his chance."

On hearing the news in Manchester yesterday the young defender admitted that while he was "hopeful because of what's been going on with the senior squad here," it still came as "a bit of a surprise because yesterday I was given the under-21 itinerary."

The manager, meanwhile, went on to make clear that the squad's fifth centre back, Gary Doherty, had been included on this occasion primarily for his ability to act as a targetman in attack in the event that tactical change was required in Moscow.

"I explained that to Richard (Dunne) this morning, that I was taking Gary because of his happy knack for getting in there and upsetting defenders. I've said a lot of times that I see him as a defender and ideally I'd like to see a fit Richard Sadlier providing this option, but Gary's proved that he can do it in the past and I know if I need him to he'll do it again for me next week."

Morrison's return provides McCarthy with another option, although the fact that his brief appearance for Birmingham on Wednesday night marked his first competitive football of the season leaves a question mark hanging over his fitness. "He got 10 minutes and hopefully he'll get a bit more at the weekend," said the Ireland manager.

Finnan is now fully fit after playing in both Fulham's Premiership game against Middlesbrough at the weekend and the Inter-Toto Cup win over Bologna this week.

The omission of Dunne, McCarthy explained to the Dubliner yesterday morning, was due to his inability to gain a regular place in Kevin Keegan's first team. "The big lads like Richard need to be playing games," he remarked. And Andy O'Brien has been passed over on the basis of lingering doubts regarding his fitness despite the fact that the 23-year-old came on during Newcastle's Champions League qualifier.

Thomas Butler, like Graham Barrett and Jim Goodwin, returns to the under-21 squad, but McCarthy had encouraging words for the Sunderland winger, observing that it made more sense to bring Stephen McPhail in the senior squad and then still have the option of calling Butler up once the trip is under way. "I have an agreement with Don about it and we'll have a better idea about whether we'll need him after the weekend."

GOALKEEPERS

Given (Newcastle), Kiely (Charlton), Colgan (Hibernian).

DEFENDERS

Harte (Leeds Utd), Breen (West Ham), Kelly (Leeds Utd), Cunningham (Birmingham), Finnan (Fulham), O'Shea (Manchester Utd), Babb (Sunderland).

MIDFIELDERS

McAteer (Sunderland), Holland (Ipswich), Kilbane (Sunderland), Healy (Celtic), Kinsella (Aston Villa), Carsley (Everton), Delap (Southampton), McPhail (Leeds Utd).

STRIKERS

Robbie Keane (Leeds Utd), Morrison (Birmingham), Duff (Blackburn), Doherty (Tottenham).

UNDER-21 SQUAD: Murphy (West Brom), Stack (Arsenal), McGuinness (Bohemians), Goodwin (Stockport), Thompson (Notts Forest), C Byrne (Sunderland), Butler (Sunderland), Tierney (Man Utd), Miller (Celtic), Doyle (Celtic), Mattis (Huddersfield), S Byrne (West Ham), Burgess (Stockport), Daly (Stockport), Keane (Preston), Reid (Notts Forest), Houlihan (Shelbourne). On stand-by: Gamble (Reading), Shelley (Carlisle Utd), Cash (Notts Forest), Doyle (UCD), Dempsey (Dunfermline), Roche (Notts Forest).