As Robbie Keane continues to struggle with an ankle injury and Gareth Farrelly announced he would not be arriving for the game, Mick McCarthy yesterday called Bohemians striker Glen Crowe into the Republic of Ireland squad for this weekend's World Cup qualifier against Portugal.

Keane started yesterday's session at Baldonnell brightly enough but when the players began a training game, the 20-year-old Leeds striker played little part and McCarthy admitted afterwards he remains a doubt for Saturday.

Keane is scheduled to play in a a practice game against Don Givens' under-21 side this morning. However, after yesterday's outing the Ireland coach said he will not risk the player today if he thinks there is any chance the run-out will make matters worse.

"It's of no consequence whether Robbie plays in this game, Saturday is what matters," said McCarthy, "and the simple fact is that if he doesn't play on Saturday then David Connolly will play."

As another day passed the chances of Kenny Cunningham taking any part at Lansdowne Road appear to be fading.

"Kenny's a very serious doubt for Saturday," remarked McCarthy who went on to observe his former skipper more than justifies his presence with the squad even if he doesn't end up playing "so important is he to the spirit amongst the players".

Farrelly's withdrawal due to a hamstring injury picked up in Bolton's victory in the English first division play-off final on Monday has opened the door for 23-yearold Crowe who, after scoring 35 goals in all competitions for his club this season, had originally been invited to train with the squad until Saturday when he was due to fly to America.

"It's been a great season for me with Bohemians, so to round it off with a place in the Irish squad is unbelievable," said the Dubliner who returned home two years ago having failed to secure a long-term contract in England. "Even if I don't get on to the bench on Saturday it's still a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he added.

Prior to hearing the news yesterday, Crowe had admitted to finding the pace of the training session on his first day with the squad a little hard to adjust to. Crowe becomes the first National League player to be part of a senior Irish squad since Stephen Geoghegan travelled to Macedonia in April 1997.

With Cunningham looking so doubtful, yesterday Richard Dunne was once again in the frame to face Portugal. The surprise star of those memorable qualifiers in Amsterdam and Lisbon was clearly upbeat about the possibility of getting his sixth international start of the season.

"Hopefully," he said when asked if he thought he might get in before adding more tactfully, "it's always unfortunate when anybody misses out through injury but it's how players usually get their chance and so you just take it when it comes along". He attributes his transfer to Manchester City earlier this season to the strength of those international performances last autumn, and following Joe Royle's departure, he admits to being a little concerned he might have something to prove all over again to new manager Kevin Keegan.

Things aren't helped by the adverse publicity that surrounded Royle's sacking with a succession of media reports blaming the manager's demise on the drinking habits of his players. Dunne has occasionally been the subject of such reports and once again finds himself pleading innocence after a tabloid last week published a picture of him in a pub posing with a supporter on the night of the UEFA Cup final.

"It's sad because I think it was just some guy out to make a few quid for himself but at the time I was there and he came up, I think he was Irish actually, and said he was over on holidays and would I get in a picture with him.

"I was just out watching the game with a few friends. I had the car outside so I could only have one drink anyway but the sad part is that some other fella will come up and ask for a picture somewhere and I'll say `no' and he'll think that I'm just being unreasonable."

As for the possibility that Keegan might hold such an incident against him, Dunne concedes there is a worry the manager might believe the publicity. Another of those performances he seems to save for World Cup games, though, and you suspect he'll be all right with the new man.