SOCCER INTERNATIONAL NEWS:GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI may have added "swings and roundabouts" to his rapidly expanding English vocabulary after yesterday morning's training session in Malahide, where Aiden McGeady and Darren O'Dea joined the rest of the squad but Richard Dunne and Stephen Hunt were obliged to look on from the sidelines.
The latter pair picked up knocks in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Serbia, and Hunt was forced to withdraw from the squad last night due to a hamstring problem.
But Trapattoni is optimistic that Dunne will be fit for Thursday's game against Colombia in London.
The Italian estimated that, "Dunne has a 90 per cent chance of being fit".
The new coach has heaped praise on McGeady since he started in the job, and, having had to wait to see him in the flesh as a result of Celtic's game last Thursday night, it appears he has not been disappointed by the winger's performance during yesterday's run out.
"I saw McGeady in training for the first time today," said the former Italy boss, "he did really well. Maybe he will start, but he will play at some stage, as will (John) O'Shea."
O'Dea also comes into the reckoning and would be an option if Dunne does miss out, but with Trapattoni strongly hinting that he will stick broadly with the line-up that started against Serbia, the defender is more likely to have to settle for a place on the bench.
The Irish head for London tomorrow, but tonight Liam Brady will take in Estonia's friendly against the Republic's group rivals Georgia, the team's first outing since the 4-1 defeat in Belfast that prompted the sacking of German coach Klaus Toppmoller.
Liam Miller, meanwhile, has expressed the hope he still has a future at Sunderland, despite the clash with Roy Keane that resulted in him ending up on the transfer list.
"When I left at the end of the season things hadn't changed," said the former Celtic midfielder. "I'm still on the transfer list, but my intention at this stage is still to go back there after the summer and fight for my place."
Miller was initially dropped for what Keane alleged was consistently poor time-keeping, but the Corkman did get back into the team for the tail-end of the season, which was, he hopes, recognition of the way he applied himself in training.
"I just tried to get my head down and work hard and it was great to get back in the team," he says, "I was very pleased with that."
Keane was scathing about the attitude shown by the midfielder who, it has to be said, is a rather unlikely miscreant. But with so many other changes of personnel needed to be made over the summer at the club, it would seem slightly self-defeating to actually sell Miller.
Still, the 27-year-old left for his summer break without knowing whether Keane is still intent of getting rid of him or, for that matter, if any other clubs had expressed an interest in buying. "I didn't ask," he says simply.
In the circumstances, the break away with Ireland must come as a welcome distraction. Miller admits he enjoyed the work in Portugal, where an intensive programme of training sessions helped the coach and players get to know each other.
"Portugal was good, the double session helped us to get a handle on what he wants from us, they kept us busy and we're learning more and more. The language was difficult at times," he conceded. "He's getting very good, but when he was trying to get a particular point across it could be a problem although we are getting used to it."
Miller insists he can improve on Saturday's performance if selected again at Craven Cottage, and he will be especially anxious to do well given the amount of time he spent in the wilderness during Steve Staunton's reign.
"I know I can do better, but overall Saturday was okay. "What we need to do now is build on it."
