Tardelli: We respect Andorra

The Republic welcomes the unfancied minnow to Dublin on Tuesday evening (Wednesday morning AEST) for the first competitive game at the Aviva Stadium, the newly-refurbished Lansdowne Road.

However, while it will be the overwhelming favourite to win and win comfortably - something it has rarely done under Giovanni Trapattoni - his assistant Tardelli insists there can be no room for complacency having studied a DVD of Andorra's 2-0 home defeat by Russia.

He said: "Normally, it is possible to win against Andorra, but you know football. Everything is possible on the pitch.

"Yesterday, I saw the DVD of the game against Russia and they played well. Andorra had two chances to score.

"Every match is difficult. We respect Andorra. We respect every team, but normally it is possible to win."

The Andorrans expended a huge amount of energy in their attempts to keep the Russians at bay, and are expected to arrive in Dublin determined to defend for dear life once again.

However, while its part-time players may well be feeling the after-effects of their exertions, Tardelli was quick to point out that on the same evening, Trapattoni's men were grinding their way to a 1-0 victory in the exhausting heat of the Armenian summer.

When asked if the visitors would be tired, he replied: "Like us."

Jesus Alvarez's Andorra team has a reputation for a robust approach to its football and, just as Trapattoni warned his players not to give Hungarian referee Zsolt Szabo any encouragement in Yerevan, his assistant knows they will have to remain calm again.

Midfielder Glenn Whelan was booked in Armenia and a second yellow card would rule him out of the home game against Russia next month, although Tardelli is not unduly concerned.

He said: "For us, maybe it is dangerous for yellow cards because we have Whelan with one yellow card.

"But I have seen the DVDs of Andorra and that's no problem."

Trapattoni, of course, has the option of resting Whelan, who has become one of his key players, to ensure he is available for the Russia game.

Indeed, he could, if he wished, make several changes and still expect to claim victory, although it is not within his nature to tinker with a team assembled very much in his own image.

Tardelli was giving little away about his selection a little more than 48 hours ahead of kick-off.

The Italian said: "The players have worked well and everybody is fit to play against Andorra - I don't know who," he added, pre-empting the inevitable question.

"The boss will decide. We have another training session tomorrow and everything is possible."

When it was suggested that Trapattoni has not made a habit of using the depth of his squad, Tardelli replied: "You know the boss very well."

Keeper Shay Given sat out the later part of training in Malahide, but Tardelli confirmed that was simply to give him a break as under-studies Keiren Westwood and Joe Murphy played in a game towards the end of the session.

Paul McShane, who returned to club Hull City for treatment on a hamstring problem, was waiting for the rest of the squad when it arrived back from Armenia and trained on Sunday, as was Darren O'Dea, who travelled to Yerevan, but did not make the 18 as he recovered from a slight knee sprain.

However, midfielder Damien Duff, who it was thought might be able to return from the calf injury which sidelined him against Armenia, will not be risked.