SOCCER:DESPITE THE continuing absence of some important players, Giovanni Trapattoni's side for Friday night's critically important European Championship qualifier against Slovakia started to take shape yesterday in Malahide, where one of the teams at the end of a 10-a-side session bore a strong resemblance to Ireland's likely starting line-up at the Aviva Stadium.

With Kevin Kilbane having picked up a back problem in Monday’s run-out, Stephen Ward occupied the left-back slot, while Keiren Westwood and Shane Long stood in for Shay Given, and Robbie Keane respectively.

Keith Andrews also switched sides in order to balance out the numbers but elsewhere there was a strong sense the players were settling into the positions they will inhabit in the first game of this potentially decisive double-header.

With Richard Dunne and Sean St Ledger both cleared to take a full part in the session, the pair were reunited in central defence, while John O’Shea returned to his familiar right-back role. Damien Duff and Aiden McGeady played either side of Glenn Whelan in midfield and Kevin Doyle partnered Long in an attack that seems certain to have Keane leading it again come kick-off time. Keane was due to arrive from the US yesterday and should train today.

There was a little confusion regarding Given, though, with Marco Tardelli predicting the goalkeeper would be in Dublin by last night, while his Aston Villa team-mate, Richard Dunne, suggested he may stay on to work with the club’s medical staff for another day or two. However, the problem was solved when Given arrived last night and he should be fit for selection.

As far as Tardelli was concerned, there was little to worry about in relation to Kilbane either, with the Derby defender simply laying low yesterday in order to give his back a rest and so ensure he is available in the event that Trapattoni decides to stick with him on Friday. “Kevin didn’t train because he felt a pull in his back but it wasn’t clear what it was,” said the Ireland assistant manager. “Today he walked and I hope that tomorrow or Thursday or Friday he will be well.

“We have options,” the Italian continued, “but I think Kevin will be fine, that he will recover. If not, then we would have less options.

“I don’t know what Giovanni will decide. But Kevin Kilbane has experience and maybe we could use him in Russia, I don’t know. We need the energy and experience in this team now. We will decide.”

There are potentially a few calls to be made further up the field too, with Stephen Hunt and Liam Lawrence both hoping to challenge for a place on one of Ireland’s wings, while Long’s early season form for West Brom has added additional weight to his argument for a place in Trapattoni’s starting line-up, while Simon Cox certainly appeared to have caught the Italian’s eye at the tail end of last season with a promising debut and an initial haul of two goals from his first four international games.

In truth, though, all four positions look to be spoken for and Tardelli, for the most part, simply welcomed the fact there are serious options for the management team to consider. He went further in the case of McGeady, though, whose form he appears to have been particularly impressed with.

“He looks very, very well,” he said. “I think McGeady now is a very good player. Maybe he needed to go to Russia to add something to the game he played in Scotland but I think that now he is very important for us.”

The winger, of course, may feel especially motivated to produce something a little special back in Moscow but the most important thing, Tardelli insisted, was to concentrate on winning against Slovakia before worrying about Russia. “It (what Ireland need to take from the second game) depends on the match between Russia and Macedonia. For now, we focus on the Slovakia match and that is everything for us.

“I think Slovakia is a very tough team. They scored few goals but they are very, very strong in defence and I think they will be very tough. Four points is good,” he added when pressed on what he would regard as a good return. “But of course six is better.”