John O'Shea's return to the senior international panel, due to be named by Mick McCarthy this morning, has been all but confirmed by his absence from Don Givens's under-21 panel for next week's European Championship qualifier against Switzerland.
The defender's progress at Manchester United appears finally to have prompted his full elevation to senior status, with Givens remarking yesterday: "I'm not likely to see him again, he's come on so far that it looks like he'll be a senior player from here on in."
The Waterford man aside, Givens has stuck with much the same panel that travelled to Moscow last month. Thomas Butler, Graham Barrett and Jim Goodwin are all included, as are relative newcomers Jason McGuinness of Bohemians and Shelbourne's Wes Houlihan.
With injuries ruling out Shaun Byrne and Michael Keane, Givens has called in Stephen Paisley and Michael Doyle, while Cork City's John O'Flynn, one of two players currently on stand-by, has been told that with Ben Burgess doubtful, he may well be drafted into the squad over the next few days.
McCarthy, meanwhile, seems to have come through the weekend without any significant new injury worries. His main concern, in the absence of Steve Carr and now Steve Finnan, will be to ensure that there is some cover for Gary Kelly at right back. O'Shea, who has played at full back for United on a number of occasions now, may well be seen as providing the required back-up.
Steven Reid's failure to make even the bench for Millwall's game against Nottingham Forest on Saturday effectively ends his chances of making the trip to Dublin.
Switzerland, meanwhile, are not expected to replace Liverpool defender Stephane Henchoz in their squad following the player's withdrawal from the trip to Dublin in order to have surgery on a calf injury.
"It's a shame for Stephane, but he has a calf problem and will have an operation on Tuesday - he will be out for about four or five weeks," Liverpool's assistant manager Phil Thompson said yesterday.
IRELAND UNDER-21 SQUAD: Murphy (West Brom), Stack (Beveren), McGuinness (Bohemians), Goodwin (Stockport), Byrne (Sunderland), Butler (Sunderland), Tierney (Man United), Dempsey (Dunfermline), Miller (Celtic), Doyle (Celtic), Mattis (Huddersfield), Burgess (Stockport), Daly (Stockport), Reid (Nottm Forest), Barrett (Brighton), Houlihan (Shelbourne), Paisley (Man City). Stand-by: Cash (Nottm Forest), O'Flynn (Cork City). Called up to training: Hunt (Shamrock Rvrs), Forsyth (Bray Wdrs), Lestor (Monaghan Utd).
SWITZERLAND (Senior squad): Stiel (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Zuberbühler (Basel), Borer (Sion), Haas (Basel), Magnin (Lugano), Meyer (Basel), Müller (Lyon), M Yakin (Kaiserslautern), Berner, Cabanas (both Grasshoppers Zurich), Celestini (Marseilles), Vogel (PSV Eindhoven), Wicky (Hamburg), H Yakin, Cantaluppi (both Basel), Chapuisat (Grasshoppers), Frei (Servette), Thurre (Servette).
