The 36-year-old is to see a doctor he has used before, and while the Football Association of Ireland insists the trip is "purely precautionary", it is a distraction Trapattoni could have done without less than three weeks before the Euro 2012 finals get under way in Poland and Ukraine.

An FAI spokesman said: "Shay Given will travel to London tomorrow to visit a knee specialist that he has seen in the past. He will return to Portmarnock in the evening.

"This is purely precautionary and Shay remains fine for the Euros."

Given suffered the problem in training at Gannon Park in Malahide earlier this week and had been ordered to rest for two to three days.

Trapattoni had hinted he would not risk him in Saturday's friendly against Bosnia-Herzegovina at the Aviva Stadium with Keiren Westwood and David Forde ready to step in, but the 73-year-old will keep his fingers crossed that what his medical staff believe is a minor problem does not develop into something more sinister.

It proved a busy day for the Italian, who less than an hour earlier called up Paul McShane as defensive cover after seeing Sean St Ledger join Richard Dunne and John O'Shea on the sidelines.

A Football Association of Ireland spokesman said: "Paul McShane has been called in as an additional player to the squad to provide extra cover in defence.

"All other players remain in the squad. Paul will join up with the squad in Portmarnock this evening."

McShane, who has 26 senior caps for his country, one of them as captain in the 2-0 friendly victory over Italy last year, was one of five men placed on stand-by when the squad was named earlier this month.

The 26-year-old could well go straight into the team for Saturday's friendly, with three-quarters of Trapattoni's first-choice back four likely to be unavailable and potential full-back cover Kevin Foley battling a hamstring problem.

Asked for an injury update after training in Malahide, assistant manager Marco Tardelli said: "We need one year to speak because we have a problem with John O'Shea, with Dunne, with St Ledger, Foley."

At the time, Tardelli revealed Trapattoni was considering calling up another defender, and the news of McShane's impending arrival was confirmed hours later.

Aston Villa's Dunne reported to the team on Sunday with a lower abdominal micro-tear, while O'Shea has been nursing the ankle injury he aggravated in Sunderland's final game of the season against former club Manchester United.

St Ledger is the latest to join the casualty list with a groin problem, while Foley has been working his way back to fitness since he joined up with the squad.

Tardelli said: "St Ledger has a little soreness in the groin. I think it's possible after Saturday or Sunday that he can play, but it's better we don't take a risk and he rests.

"Richard Dunne has a little problem also in the groin, but I think after two or three days, he will be good.

"Neither John O'Shea nor Richard Dunne will play [against Bosnia] - I think. I am not very sure, but it's possible."

However, the World Cup winner is hopeful that none of the walking wounded are genuine doubts for the finals.

He said: "No. no, I don't think so. After three or four days, they will be ready."

The Republic leaves for its pre-tournament training camp in Montecatini, Italy, on Sunday, and there is a possibility McShane could be added to the travelling party for training purposes.

Tardelli said: "We can't go to the Euros with 24 players, the most is 23. We will decide for this match and maybe for Montecatini, but after we will decide.

"It's possible we could have injuries and it is possible to stay with us."

Despite the injury problems, Trapattoni was once again throwing himself into his job.

His assistant knows the 73-year-old as well as anyone, and he admits he never relaxes.

Tardelli said: "Never, never. He likes football and always watches DVDs, he always speaks with us about football.

"That's normal, that's his life."

Asked if he is the same, Tardelli said with a smile: "Yes, because I stay with Giovanni."

Keane used his newspaper column to question the 26-year-old Spartak Moscow midfielder's form for his country as he prepares for the EURO 2012 finals in Poland and Ukraine.

But McGeady said: "Roy Keane? He says enough anyway. I played with him at Celtic and that was bad enough.

"He is just one of those guys who has something to say about everything. I got on with him as a guy, but he is just one of those guys who has an opinion on everything.

"I never saw it, but they [former players] are entitled to their opinion.

"Over the qualifying campaign, I was probably not great in every game, but I know - not being big headed - that I was probably one of the main players.

"When other people talk about the 'final ball', that is their opinion, but who set up more goals than me in the qualifiers?

"Possibly because I don't get one [cross] in every time, I get criticised."

Ireland has been pitched into battle with world and European champion Spain, Trapattoni's native Italy and Croatia in Group C and faces a real scrap to make it to the quarter-final stage.

But having seen Chelsea defy the odds to beat Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League final having already disposed of the mighty Barcelona in the last four, Trapattoni insists the Republic should fear no-one.

He said: "I think we can have confidence. The opponents, we know - Spain, Italy, the same Croatia - are strong.

"But I said also to the players, the example is like yesterday when Chelsea beat Bayern when Bayern were favourites. That is very important."

But asked if his team would attempt to set up like Chelsea to frustrate its opponents, the 73-year-old added: "We have other players, another attitude.

"It's not possible to choose a system or attitude. We have confidence about our mentality, our attitude - with this, we have achieved good results.

"I will say to the players we have to do what we have done until now."

Trapattoni has indicated all along that he will largely rely upon the men who took Ireland to the finals in Poland and Ukraine when they get there, although Sunderland winger James McClean has done everything he can to give the manager something to think about.

Trapattoni admits the 23-year-old, who only won his first senior cap as a substitute against Czech Republic in February, has already made an impression.

Asked how McClean, who arrived last Thursday, had fitted in, the Italian said: "Very well, with confidence. He's like one of the senior players. Very well."

A report in Ireland revealed the 31-year-old was nursing a hamstring strain and there were fears he may not have been able to train with Giovanni Trapattoni's squad in Malahide.

However, a scan has revealed there is no tear and it is hoped the country's 53-goal record scorer will be able to go through his paces at Gannon Park before the squad heads off for its Italian training camp in Montecatini next weekend.

A Football Association of Ireland spokesman said: "Robbie Keane's scan result came through today and showed all clear with no sign of any tear or blood.

"He will be assessed when he comes in and should be fine."

LA Galaxy striker Keane is due to meet up with his Barclays Premier League-based colleagues on Monday as Trapattoni and his coaching staff begin their preparations in earnest.

The 73-year-old freely admits that his squad boasts few superstars - Shay Given remains a top-class goalkeeper and Robbie Keane is one of only a handful of men to have completed a half-century of international goals - and some of his most dependable performers are not even guaranteed starts at their clubs.

Having guided the Republic to within a hair's breadth - or more accurately, the width of Thierry Henry's hand - of the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa, he has steered it into Euro 2012, where it will rub shoulders with the continent's elite.

However, for Trapattoni and his players qualification is not the end of the story and while they will arrive in Poland facing the daunting task of attempting to emerge from a group which features reigning world and European champion Spain, plus Italy and Croatia, they are not travelling simply to make up the numbers.

Trapattoni said: "I was a player and I played against the best player in the world one time, Pele. I thought I was dead. But I won the game.

"Over three months or six months, the stronger teams usually wins, but 90 minutes is 90 minutes. There are games that teams can lose in an instant after a mistake. That is football."

In his four years at the helm, Trapattoni has come up with a plan, and it is one which has served Ireland well to date.

He knows he does not have the players to tear teams apart with slick, flowing football, nor the individual brilliance available to some of his international colleagues despite acknowledging that the likes of Aiden McGeady, Damien Duff and Keane are genuinely potent weapons.

However, it did not take him long to realise that his squad have passion, spirit, pride and industry in abundance, and that has proved a powerful concoction to date.

The veteran Italian said: "We don't have Messi or other quality creative players like Ronaldo or Maradona in the past.

"But we have a strong team with organisation and with balance."

The World Cup travesty in Paris proved a powerful motivation for the Irish as they set about the task of leaving nothing to chance in the quest for qualification for Poland and Ukraine.

A 3-2 home defeat by Group B favourite Russia looked to have put paid to their hopes of topping the group, and although Armenia denied Dick Advocaat's men victory in Yerevan, Ireland's disappointing 0-0 draw with Slovakia sent it to Moscow in September last year with the group on a knife-edge.

In truth it took a battering at the Luzhniki Stadium, but with central defender Richard Dunne and Given in particular refusing to be beaten, it somehow emerged with another goalless draw.

Ultimately it was the play-off route which again presented itself as the way forward for the Republic, and a resounding 4-0 win in Estonia paved the way for a 5-1 aggregate victory and a ticket to the finals.

Trapattoni said: "We have shown the players how we can achieve these results and in every game we must continue.

"We can achieve with this attitude, with this mentality, with this application. This is our way."

The manager's critics accuse him of conservatism, of placing the shape and solidity of his team ahead of flair and enterprise.

He counters by pointing to the fact that he more often than not fields two out-and-out strikers and two specialist wingers, although that goes hand in hand with an insistence that his team must also defend from the front, and his results provide ample evidence to support the efficacy of that approach.

Trapattoni's philosophy, however, will be put to the sternest of tests this tournament.

Spain will be firm favourite to retain the title it won in Vienna four years ago, and although Trapattoni is yet to lose to his native Italy in three attempts to date since taking over the reins, it remains one of Europe's traditional powers.

However, as a man who has won league titles in four different countries, he has seen enough to know none of the Republic's opponents can take anything for granted.

Trapattoni said: "I don't know if the other teams are arrogant and think they are superior.

"I don't think that. My philosophy is 'Be careful' because it's possible for everyone to lose a game."

Manager Martin O'Neill admitted after the team's last start 1-0 home defeat by Manchester United, during which O'Shea limped off before the break, that the 31-year-old could be a doubt for Euro 2012.

However, the Black Cats since confirmed that O'Shea will join up with the rest of Giovanni Trapattoni's English Premier League-based players to start preparations in Malahide on Sunday.

The 23-year-old Derry-born Sunderland winger made the move after he was sent a message saying he "deserved to be shot" for opting to play for the Republic rather than Northern Ireland.

McClean was the subject of abuse earlier this season when he announced his decision, which is allowed under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

Northumbria Police has confirmed it had received no complaint, while a spokesman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said: "We do not discuss the security of any individual.

"However, if we receive information that a person's life may be at risk, we will inform them accordingly. We never ignore anything which may put an individual at risk."

McClean is currently on Wearside preparing for Monday's (AEST) final Barclays Premier League fixture of the season against Manchester United.

Black Cats chief executive Margaret Byrne said: "Any incidents of this nature are treated with the utmost seriousness and the club is looking into this matter carefully."

McClean was also inundated with messages of support from both sides of the border after his inclusion in Giovanni Trapattoni's 23-man squad for the finals in Poland and Ukraine.

He has just one senior cap to his name to date, and that from an appearance as a substitute in a friendly against Czech Republic in February.

His emergence from the bench was greeted by rapturous applause by fans at the Aviva Stadium and his form for Sunderland since has earned him a seat on the plane.

The Football Association of Ireland expressed disappointment with the threats aimed at the player, and backed his decision to withdraw from the social network site.

A spokesman said: "It's a pity it has come to this, but it is maybe in his best interests in the short term."

Trapattoni's players will be able to use Twitter during the tournament, which gets under way for them with a game against Croatia in Poznan on 10 June, but under specified guidelines.

The 21-year-old Wigan midfielder revealed that he had asked not to be selected for this northern summer's tournament because his father is undergoing cancer treatment.

Trapattoni expressed his sympathy for the player, but told him he would be involved in future campaigns.

Trapattoni said: "Last week, he called me and told me what had happened with his family, and I told him, 'I am sorry, I am very, very sorry'.

"But he has decided to remain at home because he has a very heavy duty for his parents.

"I told him immediately that we would continue to follow him and that he will be in our plans for the future. He said, 'Thanks for this'."

McCarthy confirmed his decision in a statement:: "I have made the very difficult decision to withdraw my name from selection from the Euro 2012 squad following the diagnosis of my father with cancer and an ongoing requirement for treatment.

"I have discussed this with the manager. He was very understanding and I thank him sincerely for that.

"I take this opportunity to re-affirm my complete commitment to playing for the Republic of Ireland.

"It is a huge honour and source of great pride for me and my family.

"Despite not being present, I would like to wish the manager and my team-mates every success at the tournament and hope that Irish fans can understand the reason for my decision at this difficult time."

While one of his talented youngsters will remain at home, Trapattoni has handed another the chance to shine in Poland and Ukraine by selecting Sunderland winger James McClean, who has just a single senior cap as a substitute to his name to date.

Most of Trapattoni's English Premier League-based players will not meet up until May 20, but he has asked McClean to arrive with the Championship contingent three days earlier so he can become better acquainted with the management team and what they require from him.

The Republic faces a tough test in the finals with reigning World and European champion Spain as well as Italy and Croatia standing between it and a place in the second phase.

However, Trapattoni remains confident that his team can make an impression.

He said: "We don't have Messi or other quality creative players like Ronaldo or Maradona in the past, but we have a strong team with organisation and with balance.

"Over three months or six months, stronger teams will win, but 90 minutes is 90 minutes. That's football.

"I think my colleagues respect us. They have seen us and I have friends in Italy and Croatia, and the managers say Ireland is a strong team."

The 73-year-old Italian has indicated that the 23 men who board the plane for Poland in June will be drawn from those who helped the Republic qualify, and that could mean an anxious wait for the likes of James McCarthy and Seamus Coleman, who have had limited game time.

Trapattoni, speaking during an inspection tour of the facilities in Montecatini, Italy, where the Irish will hold their pre-tournament training camp, said: "We have 27 or 28 players and it will be a great pity, a great pity, when we have to decide on the 23, to decide on this player or that player.

"The squad is very important to me and they deserve to come with us, they helped us achieve qualification. But I have to decide which players deserve to come with us.

"We are watching games all the time. Assistant manager Marco Tardelli will be at Sunderland v Wolves at the weekend.

"We have time until a few days before the tournament starts and we can change if there is injury, and then maybe we could do with these extra players.

"I have two or three decisions to make. McCarthy, Coleman, players like that, I have to make a decision and I do not forget them for the next campaign, for the World Cup, but we have to decide the best for now."

Trapattoni drafted in-form Sunderland winger James McClean into the squad for the first time for February's friendly against the Czech Republic, and he too will anxiously await the final decision.

But the former Italy boss also revealed he and Tardelli have been keeping an eye on the progress of 29-year-old Norwich midfielder Wes Hoolahan, who has impressed during the Canaries' first campaign back in the Barclays Premier League.

He said: "I have spoken to Marco about him, he has been fantastic. We have already James McCarthy and McClean. This is not the campaign for too many young players, but Hoolahan is not young, he is [nearly] 30.

"We think about him. He played well in the last game I saw. He played in a specialist position behind the strikers.

"I have thought about him and we will consider this option. We have a system and maybe it's too late to change that system.

"I don't forget Hoolahan and maybe he will be there for the next campaign for the World Cup."

Agreement was reached after a brief meeting on Monday with the players accepting a reduction on the figures paid when the Republic reached the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals.

Reports have suggested the package could eventually amount to two million euros ($2.46 million) depending on how they fare in Poland and Ukraine this northern summer.

An FAI statement read: "The Football Association of Ireland and the players have confirmed that they agreed qualification bonuses after a constructive and brief meeting on Monday.

"During the discussions, the players emphasised the immense honour and pride which they feel in representing the country through this and previous campaigns.

"The players thanked the FAI for their professionalism and preparations which are made around the international squad.

"In recognition of the wider economic climate, the players were happy to agree to a reduction in qualification payments made in 2002.

"On behalf of all strands of the sport, the Football Association of Ireland thanks the players for their readiness to accept a reduction and for their determination to avoid the use of external agents during direct talks which were conducted in an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding."

Keane was asked about the issue at Wednesday's pre-match press conference and his reply was brief and to the point.

He said: "There's no problem at all. There will be a statement coming out in the next couple of days.

"The statement will be coming out and everything, I am sure, will be very, very clear.

"It was a very short meeting, that's all I will say, and very positive."

It took an 86th-minute equaliser from substitute Simon Cox to deny the Czechs a victory over which Ireland could have had few complaints.

But in the event, Trapattoni's side extended its unbeaten run to 12 games despite never finding its best form on the night, and that alone pleased the 72-year-old Italian.

He said: "We had an opportunity to look at other players, but also look at the result because that gives us confidence and gives us security about our system and attitude.

"I am happy because I didn't think it would be a walk in the park. This [Czech Republic] is a strong team, they have very young and important players playing across Europe."

After a lively start by the home side in which goalkeeper Petr Cech had saved from both Shane Long and Robbie Keane, the visitor gradually assumed control in Dublin.

However, with Shay Given in fine form to deny first Jiri Stajner and then Jan Rezek, it had to wait until five minutes after the break to make the pressure tell.

Rezek turned provider to pick out Milan Baros in space inside the penalty area, and his finish as Given came to meet him was assured.

The Republic, for whom skipper Keane played in a withdrawn role behind Long until both were replaced with 19 minutes remaining, rallied as time ran down with Czech coach Michal Bilek making wholesale changes, and it finally dragged ithself back into the game with four minutes remaining through Cox.

Keith Andrews slid the ball into the West Bromwich Albion striker's path and he cut inside defender Tomas Sivok before beating Cech at his near post.

Trapattoni said: "We had a good reaction in the second half with personality, and we didn't let go of our willingness to play and be aggressive.

"They dominated us and we had a good reaction and deserved to get the draw. We increased our pressing and I am happy at the moment in the belief."

Trapattoni made no apologies for refusing to experiment with either his team or his system in what was its finally friendly before it meets up in May to start preparations for EURO 2012.

However, he was happy with Keane's contribution in a slightly different role, and believes his captain's loan spell at Aston Villa has been of significant benefit.

He said: "This evening and in training, he has a new energy and psychologically, he looks fresh.

"He played very well this evening and I think the switch did him a lot of good."

The cheer which greeted the equalising goal was matched only by that sparked by Sunderland winger James McClean's introduction as a 79th-minute substitute.

McClean said: "It was goosebumps, it was a tremendous reception. It's an honour to play for my country and something I have dreamed of growing up as a fan.

"That reception is something that will be with me for the rest of my life."

Trapattoni appeared to indicate on Tuesday that the chances of any emerging players forcing their way into his plans for the northern summer were remote, and the fact that McClean was handed just 11 minutes and Shane Duffy remained on the bench tended to reinforce that.

However, the former Derry City midfielder insists he will just concentrate on playing well for his club and see what happens after that.

McClean said: "That's not my decision, it's the manager's decision. Any player, it's a dream to play for your country at a major tournament.

"I'll just continue to play well for Sunderland week in, week out and come the summer, you never know."

Meanwhile, Stoke City midfielder Glenn Whelan left the Aviva Stadium with four stitches in his lip after a first-half challenge.

Keane will play a 'number 10' role behind West Bromwich Albion striker Shane Long in the absence of hamstring victim Kevin Doyle in Wednesday evening's (Thursday morning AEDT) friendly against the Czech Republic at the Aviva Stadium.

Trapattoni, who has spent the last month studying DVDs of Ireland's Group C opponents Croatia, Spain and Italy, believes the system, which is a modification to the tried and tested 4-4-2 which booked its place in Poland and Ukraine, could come in useful in the tournament, and is keen to see how it works.

The Italian said: "Two years ago, maybe three years ago I said about Robbie, Robbie can play like Totti. Remember? I said he can play in this position and he can play well.

"At this moment, I want to give Robbie the opportunity to play between the midfield and a striker, because he can read the game and feel how the game will be.

"Long is a player who can allow Robbie to play deep. For the last month, I have watched Spain and Croatia and other teams, and I want to try this.

"Tomorrow is a test of this situation. I think Robbie can do both jobs well."

For Keane himself, the task of playing in a slightly withdrawn role is not one which will faze him.

Indeed, the 31-year-old insists he has played most of his club football in the Premier League, especially during his recent loan spell at Aston Villa, in exactly that position.

Keane said: "At club level over the years, I have always played in that role. My role is a little bit different for Ireland.

"I play a bit higher up and get on to flick-ons, which we have been very successful with over the years, so in that respect, I am used to playing that position.

"That is my position, to be honest with you. I am sort of a number 10, if you like and play in between the striker and the midfield.

"That's certainly been more the case in the last couple of months with Aston Villa, but since I have been playing, that's kind of the position I have played, certainly in England.

"But when I'm with the Irish team, it's a little bit different."

Keane's seven-game spell at Villa Park brought him three goals, two of them spectacular long-range strikes in a 3-2 derby victory over former club Wolverhampton Wanderers.

That is something he believes he can repeat from a deeper lying role, and while Trapattoni compared him to Italy international Totti, the striker preferred to look to Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard.

He said: "If you look at someone like Frank Lampard, for example, who plays at the head of a diamond, so is almost like a second striker, if you like.

"You see the goals he scores from running deep over the years, and he has continued to do that. It's a similar situation to that."

Keane will return to parent club the Los Angeles Galaxy after the game, and will do so in form and brimming with confidence ahead of the new Major League Soccer season.

However, amid speculation that he could return soon and for good with Villa boss Alex McLeish having expressed more than a passing interest in securing his services once again, he moved to end the rumours.

Keane said: "At the end of the day, I am a Galaxy player. Both parties knew what the situation was before I went there.

"I am an LA Galaxy player. I know there was a lot of talk about me being homesick or whatever it was - I don't really know where that has come from.

"At the moment, I am a Galaxy player and I am really looking forward getting back and getting back playing with the lads again."

Nevertheless, Keane's loan spell in the midlands has proved hugely successful, and he believes it has been far more beneficial than a pre-season programme in the United States would have been.

He said: "It's like anything - you want to play and play every week if you can and keep yourself fit.

"Every player wants to play every Saturday or whenever it is. I have said loads of time before, I am not one of these players that likes to sit on the bench and be happy to pick up my money.

"I want to earn my money. I love waking up on a Saturday morning and getting myself ready for the game, and that's been good, certainly in the last six months."

The 22-year-old former Derry City player, who has been in fine form for the Black Cats since being given his chance by manager Martin O'Neill, has been drafted in along with Derby County midfielder Paul Green.

McClean had been expected to be included in Giovanni Trapattoni's initial squad when it was announced earlier this month, but will now take his place along with Green in a 26-man party for the friendly at the Aviva Stadium on 29 February.

The Londonderry-born midfielder was signed from his home-town club for £350,000 ($516,692) last northern summer by O'Neill's predecessor Steve Bruce, but it was not until his compatriot's arrival at the Stadium of Light that he was given the opportunity to make an impact on the senior stage.

McClean made an eye-catching first-team debut as a substitute in the new manager's opening game, a 2-1 Premier League victory over Blackburn Rovers, and after a further two appearances from the bench, was handed a start against Manchester City on New Year's Day.

He has remained in the team ever since and has contributed four goals as well as some fine wing play to Sunderland's impressive run of form, which saw it beat Arsenal 2-0 to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals and extend its record under O'Neill to 10 victories in 15 games.

Asked recently about McClean's international potential ahead of EURO 2012, O'Neill said: "He is more than worth having a look at. I think he can force his way into the squad.

"Of course, the players who have got the Republic of Ireland there would deserve great credit for that, but there is always room for an emerging talent."

Trapattoni indicated in the wake of qualification for Poland and Ukraine that he would be keeping faith with the men who had taken Ireland to the finals.

In announcing his squad on 10 February after weeks of speculation that McClean would be included, he stuck to his guns.

However, he later revealed he had spoke to the Sunderland 22-year-old, who had earlier been granted clearance to represent the Republic rather than his native Northern Ireland by FIFA after exercising his right to do so, and told him his time would come.

Trapattoni said: "I think all the squad deserve to come with us. They believe us and they know us.

"We have four or five other names because we have no time to change. One is McClean.

"I spoke with him and I said, 'Congratulations, James, I wish you to come with us.' We now have insurance that he can play with us, and this is important.

"He said, 'When you decide, call me up'. I told him 100 percent he will be with us for the future. Now, I'm looking to consolidate."

However, McClean's chance may now come earlier than he initially thought having been presented with the opportunity to impress the Italian in training at the Republic's Malahide base ahead of the clash with the Czechs.

He tweeted: "Absolutely buzzin [sic] and honoured to be called up to represent my country... best feeling there is."

The Football Association of Ireland confirmed that Giovanni Trapattoni's men will play a friendly in Budapest on 4 June.

Ireland will meet the Czech Republic at the Aviva Stadium on 29 February, but begins its preparations in earnest when Bosnia-Herzegovina heads for Dublin on 26 May.

It will set off for its pre-tournament training camp in Montecatini, Italy the following day before its date with the Hungarians.

Trapattoni and his players will travel from Budapest to their base in Gdynia, Poland the next day, and will open their campaign against Croatia in Poznan on 10 June.

The Football Association of Ireland has rewarded the Italian coach for his recent success in securing the Republic's place at next year's Euro 2012 finals with victory over Estonia in its recent qualification play-off.

Trapattoni's deal will again be part-funded by businessman Denis O'Brien, who played a significant part in the FAI's original acquisition of the former European Cup winner.

"I am very happy to continue my job with the FAI," said Trapattoni, whose assistant Marco Tardelli has also signed a new deal.

"I have always said that Marco and I believe very strongly in the work that we are doing to grow and develop the Irish team. It is a huge honour and a privilege to represent the Irish team and we look forward to continuing this important task."

FAI chief executive John Delaney said: "On behalf of the FAI board of management, we are very happy to agree a contract extension with Giovanni Trapattoni and his team of Marco Tardelli and Fausto Rossi.

"They have done fantastic work with the squad, bringing us to qualification for a major tournament for the first time in 10 years, increasing our world ranking to 21st and introducing many new players for the future. Giovanni's experience, professionalism and achievement in qualifying for EURO 2012 has impressed everyone including the players and the FAI board.

"The FAI board of management are particularly grateful to Denis O'Brien for his continuing contribution which gives the Irish team and supporters the benefit of Giovanni's services into the next World Cup campaign."

The Italian's brief had been to steer the national team to the Euro 2012 play-offs, which he achieved before going on to secure the Republic's first appearance at a major finals for a decade with a 5-1 aggregate win over Estonia.

Republic utility man Stephen Ward, who scored in the second leg draw against Estonia, welcomed the news.

"He's done a fantastic job since taking over the national side," the Wolves player told Sky Sports News.

"It's obviously been great for him and great for us and I suppose there's no better man to take us on, hopefully, to the World Cup in 2014.

"Obviously the country is fully behind us and they're all delighted with qualifying for a major championships because it's been too long. I think the job he's done has really given the country a massive lift."

The 72-year-old - who will travel to Kiev for Friday's Euro 2012 draw ahead of the tournament in Ukraine and Poland - said after the play-off success: "I have said I think we deserve a new agreement, Marco and myself. We are now happy with the squad. We find new players in almost every game.

"We have done what we were asked to do by the FAI and the Irish people. They chose us for this reason and I think we have given the perfect answer with qualification."

The Italian and his staff have previously taken two pay cuts with Ireland's financial difficulties biting hard, and there had been speculation that a significantly reduced package could be on the table.

The Football Association of Ireland has rewarded the Italian coach for his recent success in securing the Republic's place at next northern summer's Euro 2012 finals following victory over Estonia in its qualification play-off.

"I am very happy to continue my job with the FAI," said Trapattoni, whose assistant Marco Tardelli has also signed a new deal.

The 72-year-old Italian guided his team into the finals of Euro 2012 midweek when a 1-1 draw in its play-off second leg clash with Estonia completed a 5-1 aggregate victory.

However, his existing contract is due to expire at the end of the campaign, and talks have yet to open over an extension.

Andrews, who scored the opening goal in the 4-0 first leg win in Tallinn on Friday night, admitted he hoped the Football Association of Ireland would reach agreement with Trapattoni.

He said: "It would be ludicrous if they didn't try to build on this. Good things don't happen overnight.

"He has come in and he has built a system and a squad, a team with real togetherness and a formula that has become very successful.

"They would be mad not to try to keep him."

Midfielder Andrews, currently on loan at Ipswich from Blackburn, has been a major beneficiary of the system Trapattoni has chosen as the one he believes makes best use of the players at his disposal.

However, the spirit fostered within the camp has proved almost as important during the two years since France controversially ended the side's World Cup dreams.

Andrews said: "Since Paris, we have stuck together as a group through thick and thin. Obviously, that was a low point in all of our careers, but since then, we have done quite well.

"We have grown as a group and become closer-knit, if that was even possible, and topping it all off with this achievement is fantastic.

"We are a team. Anyone who sees us play or sees us train or sees us in the hotel, it's fairly obvious that there are no prima donnas in this team, there are no egos.

"We love joining up and getting together, and we thoroughly enjoy each other's company, and that's fairly clear to see."

The Republic will discover what lies ahead for it next summer when the draw is made in Kiev on December 2.

In the meantime, it will attempt to take in exactly what it has achieved over an eventful 16-month period which culminated in a remarkable victory at the A Le Coq Arena and an emotional night at the Aviva Stadium four days later.

Andrews said: "It's mental. It hasn't sunk in yet.

"Obviously, over the weekend, we had a good feeling that we would be there, but to finally be there now and to look forward to the draw on December 2, it's a special feeling."

The 72-year-old believes he, assistant Marco Tardelli and their staff completed the latest phase of a mission when they guided Ireland into the Euro 2012 finals.

Trapattoni said: "We said we did not want to put any pressure on the FAI but in the future, we will talk about this. It was important for us to have clarity.

"We are all responsible people and we were aware that had we failed with qualification, things could have gone differently. But now, there is clarity on both sides.

"I have said I think we deserve a new agreement, Marco and myself. We are now happy with the squad. We find new players in almost every game.

"We have done what we were asked to do by the FAI and the Irish people. They chose us for this reason and I think we have given the perfect answer with qualification."

John Delaney, chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland, indicated last night that the board would meet within the next couple of weeks and talks with Trapattoni would follow.

The Italian and his staff are part-funded by businessman Denis O'Brien, and have already taken two pay cuts with Ireland's financial difficulties biting deep.

There has been speculation that a significantly reduced package could be on the table.

Trapattoni himself has remained, in public at least, relaxed about his contractual situation, preferring instead to concentrate on the two-legged play-off tie against Estonia which secured its passage to Poland and the Ukraine.

However, he has insisted if the worst came to the worst and he could not agree a new deal with Ireland, he would not retire from the game, and having further enhanced his curriculum vitae by ending the Republic qualification drought, he would certainly be in demand.

Ireland secured its ticket for the finals by following up a stunning 4-0 play-off first leg victory over Estonia in Tallinn with a 1-1 draw in the return at the Aviva Stadium.

The win ends a 10-year wait for qualification for a major tournament.

UEFA has confirmed that Giovanni Trapattoni's men will be among the fourth group of seeds along with Denmark, France and Czech Republic when the draw is made in Kiev on December 2.

However, having drawn home and away with Italy in World Cup qualifiers and then defeating it in a friendly last summer, very nearly shocked the French in the infamous play-off in Paris and returned from Moscow with an unlikely point in September, 31-year-old Keane insists Ireland will be confident of giving anyone a game.

He said: "If you look at the history of Irish teams in tournaments, they have always been a hard team to beat.

"They always upset a few people, and I am sure we can go over there and certainly make an impact."

Keane, of course, announced his arrival on the world stage at the 2002 World Cup finals, the last for which his country qualified.

Ten years on, his age and his position as captain mean his latest achievement is even sweeter.

He said: "When you are 21 years of age, you think you have got 20 years left in you.

"But now you are coming towards the end and you are not too sure how many tournaments you have left in you.

"I will certainly cherish this moment more than I did 10 years ago. Being captain and to lead the team to a European Championships, it's something that doesn't happen very often."

Keane, keeper Shay Given, defender Richard Dunne and midfielder Damien Duff provide the link between the current Ireland squad and the men who went into battle in Japan and South Korea in 2002.

Keane and 32-year-old Duff in particular at that point represented the nation's future, and it is an illustration of just how long they have had to wait for another crack at the big time that they are now among senior men in the squad.

Keane said: "It's been a long time coming. We have been close on a few occasions and missed out.

"We have been playing since we were 17, 18 years of age. Ten years ago, we were the young lads coming through and Niall Quinn and Steve Staunton were sitting down at the back of the bus.

"Now it's me, Shay, Richie and Duffer sitting at the back of the bus, so I am sure all the young lads are saying, 'Look at all those old fellas back there'."

The same sentiment rings true too for Duff.

He said: "Possibly it means more to me than 2002. I'm obviously 10 years older, running out of time and maybe you think about things a bit more and appreciate things a bit more."

The success was all the sweeter because what happened in Paris two years ago, when Thierry Henry's unpunished handball led to the goal which ended Ireland's hopes of a trip to South Africa last summer.

Duff said: "There's a great bond and belief within the group in there, and it's grown, possibly, since France.

"Against France, we did well and should have got through, but 10 fold it has improved the spirit among the lads and the unity, so we always believed."

Keane, Duff and team-mates can now look forward to another adventure on foreign soil 24 years after Ireland last reached the European Championship finals.

For the LA Galaxy striker, whose seven goals in qualification proved so important, the task of leading his country out for the first game will be a source of immense pride.

He said: "I'm a very proud Irishman and to be captain of my country and to lead them to a European Championships is something I will take with me for a long, long time."

A 1-1 draw with Estonia at the Aviva Stadium completed a 5-1 aggregate play-off victory and secured an 8 million euro ($10.65 million) windfall for the Football Association of Ireland.

But Trapattoni, who referred to Greece's unexpected triumph at Euro 2004 on his arrival in Ireland three-and-a-half years ago, is not content just to have qualified.

He said: "I think never say never.

"I hope only we have no injuries in this campaign and no suspensions.

"It's good that we have new options to come in, but it's important that we have the basis of our first team available.

"Why not? Now we have discovered Jon Walters, we have discovered also Simon Cox, and we also have Robbie Keane and Shane Long to come back, and also our wingers.

"With this group, why not? It's not a dream. We need 100 percent commitment, but football is about scoring goals."

The final whistle brought scenes of joy on and off the pitch as Trapattoni and his players celebrated a first ever qualification on home soil, its first anywhere for 10 years and its first trip to the European championship since 1988.

The Italian had spent the days since his side's 4-0 first-leg victory in Tallinn insisting that it could take nothing for granted and that the job was not done, although the 72-year-old was well aware that the tie was all over bar the shouting.

But having seen skipper Robbie Keane pass up two glorious opportunities inside the opening six minutes, the home side extended the lead 14 minutes before the break when fullback Stephen Ward fired home from close range after goalkeeper Pavel Londak had parried Kevin Doyle's header.

However, despite the selection problems which had denied coach Tarmo Ruutli the services of first-choice goalkeeper Sergei Pareiko and central defenders Andrei Stepanov and Raio Piiroja through suspension, Estonia produced a spirited response.

It got its reward 12 minutes into the second half when skipper for the night Konstantin Vassiljev blasted a swerving, dipping 30-yard shot past Shay Given to deny the Republic victory on the night.

Nevertheless, it is Ireland which will head for Poland and Ukraine next year, and Trapattoni will hope to do so with a new contract signed, sealed and delivered.

FAI chief executive John Delaney was giving nothing away after the game, but the tenor of his words tended to support reports that a two-year extension will be on the table.

Delaney told Sky Sports: "That's not for tonight, but what I would say is he's been brilliant to work with. For me it's been a pleasure.

"The board will meet in the next couple of weeks and we'll sit down with Giovanni and we'll discuss what can happen in the future. I think that should happen sooner rather than later.

"But what I would say is, has Giovanni Trapattoni taken us forward? Yes, he has.

"Four years ago, where were we? Today we're in a far better place. We're qualified and the country is going to erupt tonight."

A bumper crowd of 51,151 did indeed erupt on the final whistle as they acclaimed Trapattoni and his players, although the manager had no plans to join his charges as they prepared to party.

He said: "No. They deserve to drink beers, but it's best I don't see this."

Meanwhile, Ruutli was delighted with the way his depleted side fought back from the ignominy of humiliation at the A Le Coq Arena.

He said: "Friday was a bad day. Sometimes it can happen, and it happened on Friday.

"Tonight was our real level and two even teams went against each other, and we showed that tonight the level which got us so many points and got us to this play-off.

"We can say that this was a successful group and a success that we reached the play-off because this was the first time for Estonia to play at such a high level."

The Irish had effectively sealed victory with a 4-0 win in Tallinn in the first leg of the qualifying play-off, and completed the job with a 1-1 draw in front of a joyous home crowd.

Stephen Ward slotted home the opener on 31 minutes after Estonian goalkeeper Pavel Londak had parried a Kevin Doyle effort into his path, snuffing out even the slimmest of chances for the visitor.

With the home side cruising, Estonia grabbed an equaliser out of nowhere in the 57th minute when Konstantin Vassilijev let fly from 25 yards with a shot which caught out Shay Given as it crashed into the back of the net.

The Czech Republic joined Ireland in the finals after negotiating a potentially tricky night in Montenegro, Petr Jiracek's 81st-minute goal enough to give the Czechs a 1-0 win on the night and 3-0 on aggregate.

The home side will rue a pair of first-half misses from Mirko Vucinic, with one close-range effort flying over the bar and his second superbly saved by Czech keeper Petr Cech, before Jiracek's winner ended the tie.

Croatia played out a goalless draw against Turkey in Zagreb which earned Slaven Bilic's men a 3-0 aggregate victory after their heroics in Istanbul.

Colin Kazim-Richards hit the post for Turkey in the fourth minute but Croatia looked most likely to break the deadlock with Ivan Rakitic forcing a superb fingertip save out of Turkey keeper Sinan Bolat.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Helder Postiga both scored twice as Portugal reached the finals with a 6-2 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina but the scoreline did little justice to the drama at Lisbon's Stadium Of Light.

The visitor, which had held on for a gallant goalless draw in the first leg in Bosnia, twice narrowed the deficit to a single goal despite being hampered by the 54th-minute sending-off of Senad Lucic.

A thunderous eighth minute free-kick from Ronaldo and an even more powerful long-range drive from Nani on 24 minutes appeared to have settled home nerves and sent the favourite through.

But Zvjezdan Misimovic ensured the outcome of the game still hung by a thread at half-time after he converted a 41st-minute penalty awarded after Fabio Coentrao was ruled to have handled in the box.

Portugal regained the initiative through Ronaldo on 53 and when Lulic was shown a straight red immediately afterwards for arguing with the referee, it appeared the Bosnia-Herzegovina challenge was finally over.

But the visitor reduced the deficit again on 65 through Emir Spahic before the 10 men tired, with two late Postiga strikes and a free-kick from Miguel Veloso giving a lopsided look to the scoreline.

The 31-year-old LA Galaxy frontman struck twice in the 4-0 Euro 2012 play-off rout of Estonia in Tallinn, prompting club boss Bruce Arena to suggest he could head back to Los Angeles to prepare for this weekend's showdown with Houston Dynamo.

However, Keane was not about to pass up the opportunity to celebrate qualification for a major tournament finals for the first time on Irish soil against the battered and bruised Estonians at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday evening (Wednesday morning AEDT).

The Ireland captain said: "They requested could I come back to LA, but obviously the manager and myself and everyone have said 'No', because it's still halfway.

"Even though it would be a tragedy if we didn't qualify now, the job is still not done yet. We have to be professional and do the job properly.

"They requested me to come back with the final on Sunday, but this could be one of the greatest moments in Irish history for me playing for my country, and to miss a special night - hopefully - like this tomorrow night, it wouldn't feel right."

Asked if Galaxy had been annoyed at the decision, Keane insisted it had understood.

He said: "No, no, because I am with the national team. It would be disrespectful to the players and everyone associated thinking that the job is 100 percent done.

"We know in football anything can happen. They requested it and they were happy with what the manager and the Association said, so believe me, it's no problem."

It is 10 years since Ireland made it to a finals tournament, the 2002 World Cup in the Far East, and on that occasion, it also took the play-off route.

But skipper Roy Keane, who had headed off on international duty nursing an ankle injury, was not present as the trip to the Far East was confirmed in Tehran having, to the surprise of many, returned to Manchester United after a 2-0 home win over Iran in the first leg.

The current skipper said: "I don't want to get into what happened in the past, I can only speak for myself and what Ireland means to me, and you all know I turn up for every game.

"If I have got a slight injury, I still come in and try my best to play the game, that's just the way I have been brought up, that's the kind of player I am.

"My country means everything to me. I would never not turn up. I have never done that in the past, and I can proudly say that.

"Roy was a top, top player and whatever happened to Roy in the past, that's something you would have to ask him.

"I can only speak on behalf of me and for me, this is probably one of the proudest moments my footballing career, to lead this team to where we are now and to achieve what we have achieved."

Keane admitted he had never before had the luxury of heading into the second leg of any tie with such a substantial lead, but has experience of how a seemingly impregnable advantage can be over-turned after finding himself on the wrong-end of a remarkable FA Cup fightback by Manchester City as a Tottenham Hotspur player.

In February 2004 at White Hart Lane, Tottenham was leading City's 10 men 3-0 at half-time and coasting, but contrived to lose 4-3.

Keane said: "I was actually playing against Richard [Dunne] - we even speak about it now - and we were chatting through the game and Richard was saying, 'Imagine if we came back and beat you', and I said, 'No chance, it's not going to happen'.

"Then every five minutes, they seemed to get a goal and we ended up losing the game 4-3.

"That's what I am saying - in football, anything can happen, so we have to be professional and do the job properly."

Professionalism was a theme which ran through Ireland's pre-match press conference with manager Giovanni Trapattoni citing Keane's desperation to see the job through as evidence.

He said: "I was in Germany and Portugal and Italy and I have in my life worked with 2,000 players and I have been lucky with those players because they had this commitment and this seriousness and this professionalism.

"Two years ago, it was impossible for me to understand that, when we said the players could go out and that they had to be back at 10pm, some came back at 1am.

"It's a professional mentality and now 99 percent have got the message, but one percent still haven't."

The Republic heads into Tuesday night's Euro 2012 play-off, second-leg clash with Estonia as talks over a first friendly between the sides in Dublin since 1995 continue.

They could meet in May as part of both teams' preparations for the tournament should Ireland join its neighbour in Poland and Ukraine, and Ipswich Town man Andrews, who scored the opening goal in the 4-0 rout in Tallinn, would welcome that challenge.

The 31-year-old said: "Absolutely, it would be fantastic. We haven't played England in such a long time.

"They have well and truly qualified for the Euros and it would be nice to pit ourselves against them.

"They had a fantastic result yesterday. We play against them week in, week out in the Premier League, and to play against them would be something I am sure both sets of fans would love."

Asked if he would prefer to play against England at next year's finals rather than in a friendly, Andrews replied with a smile: "It would be nice, yes, we would settle for a 1-0 win maybe in the group stages if we got them.

"But I am sure it would be a fantastic game if that could be sorted."

Team-mate Stephen Hunt, however, would certainly prefer to face Fabio Capello's men when it matters.

He said: "Listen, if we play against England, I would rather play against them in the tournament than a friendly because let's be honest about it, friendlies are irrelevant.

"It would be nice to beat them, of course. They are our main rivals and they play against Wales and Scotland all the time.

"It would be nice to play against them of course, but I would prefer it at the tournament.

"I go out in every game to play well for my country, but it would be special, if we qualify, to play against Spain in the first game of the tournament, that would be special."

The last time the sides met at Lansdowne Road, the game was abandoned after just 27 minutes because of crowd trouble.

John Delaney, chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland has confirmed that the fixture is a possibility.

He said: "I think there is a real enthusiasm, particularly from the English FA, to have England in Dublin sooner rather than later."

The Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder and his team-mates will book their place in Poland and the Ukraine if they avoid a heavy home defeat by Estonia at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday evening (Wednesday morning AEDT) after a 4-0 play-off demolition job in Tallinn.

Some commentators who have condemned manager Giovanni Trapattoni's conservative approach throughout the campaign have since called for the shackles to be thrown off to complete the job.

However, 30-year-old Hunt's response was withering.

He said: "When we qualified for the first World Cup, [goalkeeper] Packie Bonner couldn't get the ball far enough down the pitch.

"Our style of play has developed since then because we no longer hit it as high as we can.

"We do have a direct style of play, but we have good effective players at it. It's a bit of a myth, really, and we have just to get on with it.

"It can come across sometimes from the media that we don't have a fancy style of play, but we never had, we never, ever had.

"We had Liam Brady, who was talented, but apart from that, you tell me who has been Ronaldo or Messi in the last 20 years for Ireland?

"There is no-one been that good. [Jason] McAteer - good player, works hard, but no Messi or Ronaldo.

"He talks like them, but no Messi or Ronaldo."

Hunt had warmed to his task during an interview in Malahide having earlier responded to a question about the current squad emulating the achievements of previous generations of Ireland players with another loaded comment.

He said: "I will never be bitter though, I will always be encouraging Irish players to do well, and not try to hang on to a job by being bitter."

Trapattoni freely admits his squad does not contain the rich individual talent available to some of his managerial colleagues.

However, the Italian is happy that the character, collective spirit, organisation and work ethic which have fuelled the Republic's last two campaigns more than make up for that, and Hunt agrees.

He said: "For starters, Messi and Ronaldo don't have Irish passports.

"We have some good players - we have some very good players, not just good players.

"We have players who are well capable of producing a bit of magic and playing in the Premier League, and Aiden McGeady plays in the Russian league.

"Look at the Italian manager for England as well, how they are as well now. We are hard to beat and we will be hard to beat come Tuesday as well."

Ireland went into the tie as favourite to progress, but is now seen as a racing certainty to make the finals after an eventful evening at the A Le Coq Arena, although that sentiment is not being entertained inside the camp.

A bemused Estonian journalist asked Hunt why he kept using the words 'if' and 'hopefully' in relation to qualification.

He said: "Yes, 100 percent, because I don't want to disrespect Estonia. They have earned the right to be in the play-offs like we have earned the right, so we have got to go and make sure we do the job."

A successful completion of the mission would go a long way towards exorcising the ghosts of Paris two years ago when Thierry Henry's illegal intervention shattered its World Cup dreams.

But for Hunt, that devastation has had a positive effect.

He said: "The France game probably brought us closer together in terms of how we are.

"Any team that has qualified from Ireland has always seemed to have a good team spirit. We are pretty strong together and that's what you need for a good team."

Qualification would also leave Trapattoni holding all the cards in talks over his contract, and Hunt is desperate for him to stay.

He said: "We all enjoy winning and not losing very often no matter what team you play in. His manner speaks volumes.

"When he comes into the room, you automatically sit yourself up, 'The manager is here'. He has a presence about him, he has an aura about him.

"I would like him to stay and I am sure all the players would as well."

The Fulham fullback will miss out with a groin injury, although John O'Shea's recovery from a hamstring problem means he is likely to replace him.

Assistant manager Marco Tardelli confirmed Kelly's absence after training in Malahide on Sunday afternoon.

The Italian also revealed that midfielder Damien Duff was able to take part in the session despite returning from Tallinn with a rib injury.

The 72-year-old Italian's current deal is due to expire at the end of the current campaign, and speculation has firmly linked his chances of winning an extension with the presence or otherwise of his team in Poland and the Ukraine next summer.

The 4-0 first leg win in Estonia saw Ireland take a stranglehold on its play-off, but asked if he would be seeking early talks with Football Association of Ireland chief executive John Delaney, he was diplomatic.

Trapattoni said: "You can put the question to the president, Mr Delaney. At this moment, we remain concentrated on the game."

The second leg promises to be one of the biggest for Irish football in a decade since last qualifying for the finals of a major tournament.

Ireland has not played on the European stage since 1988 and is now just 90 minutes away from doing just that with an advantage of which they could hardly have dreamed to defend.

However, Trapattoni has told his players they must reprise the heroics in Tallinn to clinch qualification and reward the fans for the support throughout the campaign.

He said: "We must have respect for these people because at this moment, with the financial crisis, it's a sacrifice to come to the stadium.

"We have to have respect for them and show them our commitment.

"We have a duty to repeat this game, maybe not with the same goals, but for the Irish people.

"I have said to the team to be careful. It will not be an easy game.

"It is another 90 minutes for our opponents. They lost some pride and it is important that we play this game with the same seriousness for our opponents and for the people coming to the stadium to watch the game.

"They pay for their tickets and expect a result - and not only a result, but also for us to play well.

"At home, we can also play with more confidence now with this advantage, but with the same mentality."

Trapattoni has only one fresh injury concern with midfielder Damian Duff having bruised, but not fractured, a rib in a collision with team-mate Glenn Whelan at the A Le Coq Arena.

Full-back John O'Shea has recovered from his hamstring injury and is likely to return to the starting line-up, as will striker Kevin Doyle, who was suspended for last night's game.

However, Newcastle's Leon Best has returned to his club with the manager's best wishes after joining up to have his groin injury assessed.

Trapattoni said: "Leon Best was injured and he came in and after speaking with him and speaking with the doctor, we said to him to go home.

"We said 'thanks' because he wished to come with us, but he is injured and I told him we didn't need him in this game and that it was better to go back with his team and finish his treatment."

The Republic of Ireland skipper struck twice at the A Le Coq Arena as his side blasted four unanswered goals past Estonia in the first leg of its Euro 2012 showdown.

Barring a collapse of epic proportions at home - and even Ireland's mile of play-off misery has never come close to anything of that magnitude - Ireland will be heading for Poland and Ukraine next summer.

Understandably, Keane and his team-mates wore broad grins on faces which had struggled to hold back tears at the Stade de France back in November 2009 after villain of the piece Thierry Henry had torn World Cup dreams apart.

Keane said: "It's amazing how football can turn around for you. The lads were devastated in the dressing room [in Paris], and now we don't know what to do with ourselves.

"We have never been in this situation before, 4-0 up. It's only half-time, but we can certainly enjoy it. You don't get too many nights like this.

"But we will look forward to Tuesday night. There will obviously be a bit more calmness and a bit more ease with the game on Tuesday, rather than if we were 1-0 up or had drawn."

If what transpired in France proved dramatic, the 90 minutes which unfolded in Tallinn was no less eventful.

However, this time, fortune was on Ireland's side - or more accurately, was very much not on that of Tarmo Ruutli's men.

Estonia found themselves 1-0 down within 13 minutes when Keith Andrews headed home Aiden McGeady's pinpoint cross, but Estonia was dealt a significant blow when central defender Andrei Stepanov was dismissed 11 minutes before the break for a second bookable offence.

Ireland took full advantage as Jon Walters, making his first competitive start, claimed his opening goal with 67 minutes gone.

And when Keane pounced on a rebound, after goalkeeper Sergei Pareiko could only block Andrews' driven 71st-minute free-kick, the game was effectively over.

However, there was to be further misery for the Estonians as skipper Raio Piiroja followed Stepanov down the tunnel after receiving his second caution of the game, and Keane increased the misery two minutes from time by converting a penalty awarded for Ats Purje's trip on fellow substitute Stephen Hunt.

Keane said: "It was tremendous and full credit to the lads. We knew we could get a result, there's no question about that, but I don't think anyone would have predicted that it was going to be 4-0.

"We certainly wanted to come and try to get one or two goals and then take them back to Dublin, but to win 4-0 in their backyard, it was an absolutely tremendous night for us."

Goalkeeper Shay Given was equally ecstatic as he considered the prospect of a first ever trip to the finals of the European Championships.

He said: "I just spoke to Aiden McGeady in the lift before the game and he was asking about the World Cup.

"I was saying I haven't been to the European Championships, and he said, 'Well, I haven't been to anything', so for people like that, it's going to be a great buzz if, hopefully, we can get there.

"We have got a great bunch of lads and they are all delighted. They are all hugging each other in there and it's a great night to be Irish."

It has become a trademark of Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland that, even with the odds firmly in its favour, no-one will be taking anything for granted until the final whistle sounds and qualification is assured.

Given said: "We are not there yet, but we have got a fantastic chance now of finishing the job off on Tuesday.

"You don't like talking about being there when you are not there already because anything can happen in football - we could get a man sent off in the first few minutes in Dublin.

"But, please God, we can finish the job off now."

Should Ireland do that, the chances of Trapattoni's contract, which expires at the end of the season, being extended will be much-enhanced, and Keane was quick to back his claims.

He said: "That goes without saying, doesn't it?

"He has his knockers, but the results he has had since he has come in - what is it, two games in the last two qualifying campaigns we have lost?

"You have to give him a lot of credit. We are a different team now, we are very, very hard to beat."

Trapattoni's decision to hand striker Jonathan Walters a Euro 2012 playoff mission paid off in style as the Stoke frontman, making his first competitive start for his country at the A Le Coq Arena, opened his goalscoring account as the Republic routed nine-man Estonia to take a massive stride towards next summer's finals.

Trapattoni waited until the last moment to name Walters in the team ahead of West Brom's Simon Cox having hinted earlier in the week that that was what he might do, and his faith was fully repaid.

He said: "I'm not God, I don't speak English very well - I don't speak Italian very well - and I make many mistakes.

"But after 30 years in football, I think I understand it a little bit.

"For this game and on this pitch, I thought Jon Walters would be important to defend the ball and help the team to come up the pitch.

"Jon showed his quality. We got it right."

Ireland got most things right as they surged to their biggest competitive win under Trapattoni and Estonia's hopes were torn apart in cruel fashion.

The Italian will send his side out to complete the job at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday evening (Wednesday morning AEDT) with opposite number Tarmo Ruutli missing first-choice goalkeeper Sergei Pareiko and central defenders Raio Piiroja and Andrei Stepanov through suspension after a disastrous night at the A Le Coq Arena.

However, Trapattoni will not be satisfied until the job is complete.

He said: "The cat is in the sack, but the sack is not closed. The cat is in it, but it's open - and it's a wild cat."

However, the 72-year-old Italian could hardly have been more delighted with the way his players blasted their way towards what seems a certain qualification in Dublin.

He said: "In my opinion, we deserved to win. Maybe we were helped after the first goal by the sending-off - at 11 v 10, we had more opportunities to score goals.

"But we have to have respect for our opponents for what they have achieved in this qualification campaign.

"At this moment, we are near qualifying at 4-0. But I repeat the same sentence: don't jump the gun."

While everything that could have gone right did go right for Ireland, which has endured more than its fair share of play-off misery over the years, Estonia's fortunes were in sharp contrast.

Trailing 1-0 to Keith Andrews' 13th-minute header, its hopes were dealt a further blow 11 minutes before the break when central defender Stepanov, who had earlier been booked for a foul on Aiden McGeady, was cautioned for a second time after bringing down Keane.

Jonathan Walters doubled the Republic's advantage with a 67th-minute header and Keane made it 3-0 with a close-range finish after keeper Pareiko had blocked Andrews' free-kick with his legs.

Skipper Piiroja was booked for the trip which led to the free-kick, and when he handled 13 minutes from time, he too saw red as Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai incurred the wrath of he home supporters.

The official still had time to slip further in the estimation of the locals when he awarded a penalty for Ats Purje's 87th-minute trip on fellow substitute Stephen Hunt, and Keane duly obliged to take his international tally to 53 goals.

Ireland is now just 90 minutes away from ending its 10-year wait to qualify for the finals of a major tournament, an achievement which would bring a minimum of around 8 million euros ($10.7 million) into the Football Association of Ireland's coffers.

Trapattoni said: "I have been many times at the edge of a cliff. I know these situations. I have been to many big tournaments and matches like this are what I call top level matches.

"But it's not necessarily important to achieve one objective, we have to focus on what comes next.

"This is my law. I never look back, I always look forward."

Estonia boss Tarmo Ruutli was in sombre mood as he conducted his post-match press conference.

Asked if the tie was over, he said simply: "Almost."

Asked further about the role the referee's decisions had played in the game, he said: "Of course they played some part in the result, but the first two goals, they were our problem, not then referee's problem."

Ivica Olic gave Slaven Bilic's side the perfect start when he turned home Vedran Corluka's cross from close range with just two minutes on the clock.

Mario Mandzukic doubled the lead half-an-hour later when he nodded past the flailing Volkan Demirel at the far post, before Corluka completed the scoring in the 51st minute with only his second international goal.

A late header from Tomas Sivok saw the Czech Republic put one foot in the finals with a 2-0 victory over Montenegro.

The Czechs held a narrow lead after Vaclav Pilar's 63rd-minute goal but Sivok's goal in injury-time gives them a clear advantage going into the second leg in Montenegro.

Captain Robbie Keane claimed a double as the Republic of Ireland took a stranglehold on its play-off with a 4-0 win against nine-man Estonia.

Keith Andrews had got the visitor off to the perfect start with a 13th-minute header and Jonathan Walters repeated the feat from Keane's 67th-minute cross.

Keane made it 3-0 four minutes later and then converted a late penalty as Estonia, which had Andrei Stepanov sent off before the break and captain Raio Piiroja after it, capitulated on a miserable night for the host in Tallinn.

Bosnia-Herzegovina failed to make the most of home advantage as it played out a dire goalless draw with Portugal in Zenica.

Possession was dominated by the visitor but Helder Postiga missed the best of what chances it created, while Cristiano Ronaldo again struggled to recreate his club form in a Portugal shirt.

Despite that, Portugal will feel it is best placed to qualify ahead of the second leg in Lisbon.

However, he is confident that even if it did, there might still be another big day in his illustrious career.

The 72-year-old Italian will attempt to guide the Republic into its first major tournament finals for 10 years when it launches its play-off bid against Estonia in Tallinn on Friday evening (Saturday morning AEDT).

There has been speculation that any extension to Trapattoni's contract and those of his staff is inextricably linked to the battle for qualification.

Asked if it had dawned on him that the 90 minutes in Estonia and the 90 which will follow at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday evening (Wednesday morning AEDT) could be his last as Ireland manager, he said: "Yes, yes.

"But I am not nervous about this because I know football. I was talking the other days about standing on the edge of the cliffs - that's our life, it's a manager's life.

"Our life is dangerous. I have a habit of looking down on dangerous situations.

"But I think I will live, if not here, then maybe there is another. I don't know where, but sure, I am not stopping here."

There is a feeling within the Irish camp that it may never have a better opportunity to reach another finals after getting the draw it wanted from the options available and home advantage in the second leg.

Trapattoni, however, is not a man to take anything for granted.

He said: "In football every Sunday, or in England Saturday, you see little teams beat the great teams. That's football. For me, it is no surprise.

"But we must think these 180 minutes is our life, players, manager, the Irish people.

"I will be very proud if we achieve this result because it means up until now we have done our jobs well."

Trapattoni named all but one member of his starting XI at his pre-match press conference at the A Le Coq Arena, and is yet to decide whether Stoke City's Jonathan Walters or West Bromwich Albion's Simon Cox will partner skipper Robbie Keane in attack.

He seemed bemused at a series of question on that issue, at one point saying: "You have other questions, no? Is that the only question?"

Ireland's last play-off, of course, ended in bitter disappointment when it was edged out by France on a night of high drama in Paris two years ago.

Perhaps understandably, Trapattoni was asked if the publicity that surrounded the controversy over Thierry Henry's infamous handball might mean there was less chance of the Republic ending up on the wrong end of a decision this time around.

His response was measured.

He said: "Referees can make mistakes, but I don't have any preconceptions about the referee."

The 35-year-old goalkeeper will head into the Euro 2012 play-off with Estonia on Friday evening (Saturday morning AEDT) in Tallinn and then next Tuesday evening (Wednesday morning AEDT) at the Aviva Stadium never having played in the finals of the competition during his illustrious career.

But he is also acutely aware that anyone born in Ireland since 1988, the last time the Republic made it, will not have even seen the nation go head-to-head with the best the continent has to offer.

Given, of course, played with distinction at the 2002 World Cup finals in the Far East, but admits this double-header could amount to the most important two games of his international career to date.

He said: "Well, they probably are because it's nearly 25 years since we have been at a European championships.

"There are people of 25 who haven't even seen Ireland at a European championships - that's really mad to even think about.

"They are the biggest games because they are the games coming up next - but they don't get much bigger than these games coming up next.

"We are all excited about them. There's pressure and expectation, but you have to take that on your shoulders and respond to it."

The two sides have met only twice before, during the qualifying campaign for the 2002 World Cup, and Ireland won both encounters 2-0 with Given between the posts in Tallinn in June 2001.

He said: "I have good memories, obviously - we won the game. That's the most important thing.

"I remember the stadium. I remember quite a lot about it, not too much about the game, but I think Mart Poom was still playing in goal at that stage.

"They have come on a long way since then. Mart Poom was their main player then, but they have got a lot more football experience as a country since then."

Caution has been the watchword since the squad met up with memories of the Ireland rugby team's World Cup exit with excitement at home reaching fever pitch still fresh.

Coach Giovanni Trapattoni is not a man to under-prepare, and his players will be provided with a dossier detailing everything they can expect the Estonians to throw at them ahead of kick-off.

Given said: "Expectations are high in the country and that's a good thing - but then Estonia's expectations will be high as well.

"They have done well to get here by coming second in their group as well. They will have high beliefs and dreams of going to Poland and Ukraine just like us.

"But I have said before, there is a belief in the squad that it's our time to qualify, hopefully.

"But obviously, we have got two massive games to get through before we can even start thinking about next summer."

Unlike Estonia, Given and his team-mates have experienced the play-off situation before, although just how valuable a return of one victory from six attempts really is debatable.

The Aston Villa keeper played in Tehran as Ireland edged its way past Iran to win its place in Japan and South Korea, but he was also at the heart of the action the night France dashed its hopes of a return to the big stage in controversial fashion two years ago.

Given said: "I don't want any more hard luck stories.

"You just want it all to go to plan, that everyone plays right on top of their game and we get the results because there have been too many hard luck stories and what ifs and all the rest of it.

"Hopefully this time, it will be about us getting qualified and having a real buzz back in the country in the lead-up to a major championships again."

Given will be fit to play his part in Estonia after returning to training after treatment for a stiff next which had sidelined him.

Defender Richard Dunne and midfielder Keith Fahey were also put through their paces in Malahide after minor knee problems before the squad headed for the former Soviet republic.

Ireland heads into Saturday's (AEDT) Euro 2012 playoff opener in Estonia determined not to suffer the fate which befell it in Paris two years ago once again.

That night, France edged past the Irish in controversial circumstances at the Stade de France, but while the bitter memories remain for those who were there, there is a new resilience about Trapattoni's squad.

McShane said: "All the players know what he wants. We watch videos of us playing after every game and leading up to the games, we will look at things we have done.

"He has got the 'not-to-be-beaten' attitude, and that's definitely rubbed off on the players.

"The players have played really well under him. We have got a solid base and teams find us hard to break down.

"It's good to be hard to beat."

Ireland has proved so hard to beat that nobody has managed it in its past nine games, a run which has seen it concede a single goal after eight successive clean sheets.

Another shutout in Tallinn would provide the perfect platform to complete the job at the Aviva Stadium next Wednesday, although nobody will be allowed to think too far ahead.

Hull defender McShane said: "We have got a good, honest bunch of lads, so I don't think we will be getting carried away because football has that habit of turning around and kicking in the private parts.

"You can't take your eye off the ball. You have to prepare properly and you can't go into games over-confident or you will be punished."

McShane was perhaps the closest man to Thierry Henry the night his handball offence went unpunished and effectively cost the Republic its chance of a trip to the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa.

But he is hoping fortune may favour his team this time around.

The 25-year-old said: "The lads were very upset about it at the time, and it still mentally scars you.

"When you think back, it hurt a lot to be knocked out in that manner.

"We are hungry to qualify for a major tournament and we have got a great opportunity now.

"Obviously, it was well documented, the last game with the handball and stuff, but hopefully that bit of luck is on our side this time.

"They are two massive games. We haven't qualified for a major tournament in a while. The lads know that and hopefully this time, we will get there."

The 28-year-old Stoke striker could be handed a first competitive start for his country in the opening play-off clash with Estonia in Tallinn with Kevin Doyle suspended and Shane Long and Leon Best injured.

Walters has only three senior caps to his name to date, two of them as a substitute, but he is desperate for a chance to show what he can do on the big stage after an impressive cameo as a substitute in the 2-1 victory over Armenia which clinched Ireland's place in the play-off.

Asked what starting the game would mean to him after manager Giovanni Trapattoni hinted that could be a possibility, he said: "It would mean a lot.

"It's such a big opportunity. Circumstances have forced a change and you have got to take these chances when they come along with both hands. You can't just let them pass you by.

"Hopefully I will play a part of the game and if I do, hopefully I will do well enough to get the right result for the team.

"I have had no hint, but I know circumstances being what they are, there are very few of us who can play.

"But if not selected, then hopefully I will be on the bench and play a part in the game."

Trapattoni has spent much of his reign to date pairing skipper Robbie Keane with Doyle in attack, and at one point, it appeared he could be without both men for the game.

Doyle was dismissed for a second bookable offence against the Armenians, a match Keane missed after suffering an adductor muscle injury in Andorra four days earlier.

However, the LA Galaxy striker is fit and in form, but the absence of both Doyle and Long means the battle for a start appears to be between Walters and West Brom's Simon Cox, although the latter's similarity to Keane in style appears to have edged the Stoke man ahead of him.

Walters is confident he can provide a foil for the Republic's record goalscorer if selected, but insists he will do whatever is required of him in Ireland's cause.

He said: "Yes, why not? I have played with so many strikers over the past few years, five or six in the past year while I have been at Stoke.

"I think a big attribute of my game is adaptability and playing with different players and linking up, so hopefully I can do that, if selected.

"Whoever I am playing with or whatever position I am playing, I just try to help the team along the way, and hopefully if I do get a chance to score myself, I will.

"But more unselfishly, it's about getting the results we need.

"You have got to look at the bigger picture - it's about qualifying. Whoever plays and whoever the manager selects, that's the most important thing, not any player."

Walters was born and raised in England, but spent much of his childhood in Ireland, and so knows exactly what qualification would mean to the nation.

He said: "One of my big memories is we were watching a pantomime and the whole crowd was singing the football songs, and it was great.

"That's probably my biggest memory of it from when I was younger.

"We were over here every minute of every holiday we could get, and my mum was desperate to make sure we were."

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has already ruled O'Shea out of Saturday's Barclays Premier League trip to former club Manchester United, and admits his chances of making the first leg of Ireland's showdown with the Estonians in Tallinn next Friday night are remote.

That will come as a huge blow to Republic manager Giovanni Trapattoni, who has installed the versatile defender as a cornerstone in his rearguard.

Baggies assistant boss Michael Appleton claimed he would be "very surprised" if Long has recovered from his knee injury in time for international duty.

West Bromich Albion predicted Long would be sidelined for six weeks when he suffered the setback 12 days ago against Aston Villa in a challenge from Alan Hutton.

But that did not stop Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni from naming Long in his squad for the two-legged tie.

Appleton said: "It is one of those injuries you really have to be cautious with.

"Shane is doing everything the physios are asking him to do. He is working hard on the bikes but has not done any impact stuff.

"I have seen players come back from injuries ahead of when they are expected to.

"But I would be very surprised if Shane is available for the Ireland game. He will have to make a massive recovery in the next week or so."

The first leg of the play-off is in Tallinn on November 11 with the return in Dublin four days later.

Long was initially ruled out for six weeks after sustaining a knee injury following a wild challenge from Aston Villa full-back Alan Hutton in last weekend's Premier League game at Villa Park.

But Trapattoni has nonetheless included him for the two play-off games, in Tallinn on November 12 (AEDT) and the return in Dublin four days later.

The Italian, who also selected Wigan midfielder James McCarthy and Stoke striker Jon Walters, said of the tie: "There is no room for complacency as we prepare for our two games next month.

He added on www.fai.ie: "We will remember that Estonia have as much right to be in the play-off as ourselves.

"They have had some very good results in their group beating Serbia and Slovenia. They also caused Italy a lot of problems.

"These games will be a huge challenge for us, and we must maintain the correct mentality from start to finish."

Long was disappointed not to be included in the starting line-up for the decisive group match with Armenia in Dublin last week which saw Ireland secure a runner-up spot.

But the suspension of Kevin Doyle for the first leg of the play-off, and doubts over the fitness of Robbie Keane, have given Long an extra incentive ahead of next month's fixtures.

He impressed again during Sunday's 2-0 win over Wolverhampton at the Hawthorns.

He said: "It was disappointing not to play against Armenia but it was the right result.

"We now have Estonia in the play-offs and hopefully we can get to the Euros and make it a good summer next year.

"There are a lot of games for West Brom before that so hopefully I can stake my claim in those games.

"People say I've got a great chance to start with Kevin Doyle suspended and Robbie Keane injured.

"Kevin is missing and I would like to think I am a natural replacement for him.

"But I thought I may start the last game as well, and it wasn't to be, so we will have to see what happens.

"Hopefully I can keep doing what I am doing here at West Brom, keep putting in performances, and the Irish manager will take note.

"The manager didn't say why I didn't play against Armenia. He just told me I was on the bench and to make sure to be ready if I was needed."

Long has impressed Albion defender Gareth McAuley with the quality of his performances since moving from Reading during the northern summer.

McAuley said: "I've played against Longy a few times and he gets around, wins his headers. He's a pest in a good way for us, creates opportunities for other players and gets his own share of goals.

"He puts in a great shift. When he is doing that, we can try and get up the pitch because the opposition are always under pressure. It is great for us that he is doing that. He is a great outlet."

Having finished second to Russia in qualifying Group B for the tournament, the Irish must now overcome a dire record in two-legged ties when they head to Estonia in November.

"It is extremely positive for Ireland that we will play the first leg away," the veteran coach said.

"We should not underestimate our opposition, or any team, including Estonia.

"To have made it through to the play-off, they must have quality and mental fortitude.

"Our build-up to this stage of the competition has shown us the importance of organisation, attention to detail, and self-belief.

"That will be vitally important to us as we prepare for these games."

Ireland featured in five previous play-off series winning only one - when they beat Iran to reach the 2002 World Cup.

Ireland will start the latest attempt to qualify for a major tournament in Estonia on Friday, November 11, with the return leg at Dublin's Aviva Stadium on Tuesday, November 15.

Estonia emerged from a group containing Italy, Northern Ireland, Serbia, Slovenia and the Faroe Islands to take second place, and with it earn a first ever play-off berth.

Having never made the finals of a major tournament, history is not on their side either.

The two previous meetings between the pair have gone the way of the Irish, 2-0 on both occasions in qualifying for the 2002 World Cup, with Richard Dunne on target in each game.

Having finished second to Russia in qualifying group B for the tournament, Giovanni Trapattoni's men must now amend a dreadful two-legged record to book their place in Poland and Ukraine.

Ireland has tasted success just once in the five play-offs they have featured in before now - getting the better of Iraq to qualify for the 2002 World Cup - and must make it two wins from six if it is to make what would be only a second appearance at the finals of the European Championships.

Its most recent flirtation with a play-off ended in acrimony, when Thierry Henry's handball helped France qualify for last year's World Cup at its expense, while it has also fallen foul of the Netherlands, Belgium and Turkey.

Ireland will start its latest attempt to qualify for a major tournament in Estonia on Friday, November 11, with the return leg at Dublin's Aviva Stadium on Tuesday, November 15.

"It is extremely positive for Ireland that we will play the first leg away," veteran coach Trapattoni said.

"We should not underestimate our opposition, or any team, including Estonia.

"To have made it through to the play-off, they must have quality and mental fortitude.

"Our build up to this stage of the competition has shown us the importance of organisation, attention to detail, and self-belief.

"That will be vitally important to us as we prepare for these games in November."

Tarmo Ruutli's Estonia emerged from a group containing Italy, Northern Ireland, Serbia, Slovenia and the Faroe Islands to take second place, and with it earn a first-ever play-off berth.

It has never made the finals of a major tournament, and history is not on its side either.

The two historical meetings between the pair have gone the way of the Irish, 2-0 on both occasions in qualifying for the 2002 World Cup, with Richard Dunne on target in each game.

Former Republic of Ireland striker John Aldridge has backed the team to beat Estonia and qualify for the finals.

Asked if he thought Trapattoni's side would go through, he told Sky Sports News: "Yes. We've got the greatest travelling fans and it would be great to see them on the road again.'"

The former Liverpool player believes the Republic was fortunate to draw Estonia.

He said: "It was probably the easiest of the four (unseeded teams to draw).

"We travel better than we play at home, we've had better results away than we have had at home.''

Aldridge admitted the suspension of striker Kevin Doyle, still waiting to hear the length of his punishment after being sent off in the qualifier against Armenia on Tuesday which the Republic won 2-1, would be a blow to the team's chances.

However, he backed Shane Long to fill the breach.

"Shane Long has done really well when he has deputised for either Robbie (Keane) or Kevin so it's a great opportunity for him," he said.

Ireland has only reached the European Championship finals once before - in West Germany in 1988 - but will be relatively pleased to have drawn Estonia.

There were tougher-looking assignments in the pot of unseeded teams it could have been put up against, with the other ties seeing Turkey taking on Croatia, the Czech Republic facing Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina going up against Portugal.

Portugal and Bosnia were both losers in winner-takes-all showdowns last week, with Portugal being defeated by Denmark and with it surrendering top spot in Group H, while Bosnia drew 1-1 with France when a win would have seen them pip Laurent Blanc`s men to the automatic spot in Group B.

The Czechs took second in Group I, winning a two-way tussle with Scotland to finish behind reigning champion Spain.

The two sides both finished second in their respective qualifying groups, but have only met twice before.

Here, Press Association Sport looks back at those encounters.

OCTOBER 11, 2000: REPUBLIC OF IRELAND 2 ESTONIA 0

Under the management of Mick McCarthy, Ireland was aiming to secure qualification for the 2002 World Cup.

A starting line-up of Alan Kelly, Stephen Carr, Gary Breen, Ian Harte, Richard Dunne, Jason McAteer, Kevin Kilbane, Mark Kinsella, Roy Keane, Robbie Keane and Niall Quinn emerged with a 2-0 win.

Midfielder Kinsella opened the scoring midway through the first half, with Dunne adding a second after the break.

JUNE 6, 2001: ESTONIA 0 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND 2

A side sporting five changes from the first fixture – Shay Given, Gary Kelly, Steve Staunton, Matt Holland and Damien Duff – emerged with an identical result.

Dunne was again on target, opening the scoring with nine minutes gone, with Holland adding a second before the break.

Tuesday's win over Armenia ensured Giovanni Trapattoni's men finished second in Group B and they were paired off with the Group C runners-up in yesterday's draw.

Estonia have never reached the finals of a major tournament, and this is Tarmo Ruutli's side's first play-off appearance.

Ireland have played in five-play offs before, winning just once, while their last appearance ended in acrimony when they were knocked out by France following a controversial handball by Thierry Henry ahead of the 2010 World Cup.

The first leg will take place in Estonia on either November 11 or 12, with the return leg at Dublin's Aviva Stadium on November 15.

The four teams were chosen based on their national team coefficients ahead of the draw in Krakow.

Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia and Montenegro are the four unseeded teams.

Wolves frontman Doyle will definitely be missing after being sent off for two bookable offences during the 2-1 Group B victory over Armenia which clinched its playoff place.

But Los Angeles Galaxy striker Keane is facing at least four weeks on the sidelines with the muscle injury which prevented his participation this week and that means both men could be spectators for the opening game next month.

Asked how much of a blow Doyle's absence will be, Trapattoni said: "Yes, but I hope Robbie Keane will come back, and also we have Shane Long, we have Simon Cox, we have Jonathan Walters.

"Unlike two years ago, we have options - and we also have Aiden McGeady and Damien Duff. I am confident about this.

"That is our team. Maybe we don't have superstars, but McGeady is playing very well and Duff is fantastic.

"I am happy with our attitude, mentality and approach to every game."

Ireland will go into Friday's (AEST) draw along with Portugal, Croatia and the Czech Republic - the four are likely to be seeded - and Turkey, Estonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro, with a place at next summer's finals in Poland and Ukraine at stake.

Armenia, who started the match just a point behind Ireland in Group B, suffered a major blow in the 26th minute when it lost goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky to a red card for handball outside the area and the visitor fell behind just before the break when Valeri Aleksanyan put into his own net.

Ireland then doubled its lead in the 59th minute through Richard Dunne and, although Armenia received a double boost when Henrikh Mkhitaryan pulled a goal back and home striker Kevin Doyle was sent off, Giovanni Trapattoni's men held on to seal its play-off spot.

Cox told Sky Sports 1: "It's an unbelievable night for Irish football. We needed to get six points out of six (from the last two qualifiers), and we got them and gave ourselves the best possible chance.

"We've got what we wanted in the end, which is a play-off place. Luck of the draw now and we'll take whatever comes.

"We came out with the biggest mentality that we could find and we played like heroes tonight, and we got the right result and the result we needed."

Almost two years ago, the Republic's World Cup dreams was ended by a handball decision - or rather a non-decision - as France scraped past it with the help of a large slice of good fortune.

That hurt has festered ever since, and the prospect of another crack at the lottery of the play-offs is one which brings as much trepidation as excitement and hope.

Looking ahead to the play-offs, Cox insisted past failures will not be on the players' minds, saying: "We showed tonight we can play as well as anybody and as I said it'll be luck of the draw who we get, and we'll take them and we'll go full steam ahead into the game and we probably won't even think about France or any other play-off defeat that we've had."

The Armenians arrived in Dublin ahead of Tuesday's (Wednesday AEDT) Group B showdown knowing their unlikely charge towards the finishing line will come to a halt if they do not win at the Aviva Stadium.

However, a third-place finish behind Russia and Ireland would be no disgrace for a young side which has grown significantly in stature since losing 1-0 to Giovanni Trapattoni's side in Yerevan in its opening fixture in September last year.

Minasyan said: "When I took over, it was a new generation because I brought 10 players from the under-21s into the squad in my first season.

"To make a team with good spirit, good work and good quality, that was my first goal.

"For this game tomorrow night (Wednesday AEDT), if we do not win, it's no tragedy for us because we have already gained a lot from this qualification campaign."

Armenia's recent run of form - it has beaten Andorra, Slovakia and Macedonia in its last three qualifiers and scored 11 goals in the process - has put Ireland on red alert for a game from which it needs just a point to ensure they make the play-offs.

Armenia has gone from strength to strength since the last meeting with the Irish, and both Trapattoni and a series of his players have since reminded people of how good a result that has proved to be.

Asked what had changed in the meantime, Minasyan said: "It's just two things: it's confidence and experience.

"In the first game, we were a young team, but now they are more experienced and also more confident.

"They are young and they have great desire. They want to achieve something in their lives, and that's to play football.

"We understand that the Irish team is a very strong team, but also we believe that we can win this game.

"I like the team spirit of this team because it's the main thing. They fight all the time for the whole 90 minutes, even when they were 3-0 down against Russia.

"It's always dangerous when you play a team with good organisation, rather than a team with good players who don't play as a team."

Armenia's hopes have not been harmed by the news of Robbie Keane's withdrawal through injury.

Minasyan could not hide his delight at the absence of Ireland's 51-goal record scorer, who he at one point thought might miss the first game after misunderstanding a question during the pre-match press conference.

He said: "He is a big player for Ireland and he is a player of great spirit.

"It is not good for the Irish that he is missing, but it is good for us."

While Armenia have to win in Dublin, Ireland would consider it a major failure if they did not get at least the point they need, but Minasyan believes both will be under pressure.

"Both teams have pressure and it will be the team which handles it better that will have more chance," he said.

At 37, Minasyan is a novice compared with 72-year-old Trapattoni, but while getting one over on the veteran Italian would represent a major achievement in his fledgling managerial career, that is not even a consideration.

He said: "This is not about me as a coach, this is about Armenia and Ireland.

"This is important to Armenia as a nation and I think also for Trapattoni, it is about Ireland as a nation. It is not personal, it is all about the team."

The Russians top qualifying Group B heading into the final round of fixtures, with a two-point advantage over nearest challengers the Republic of Ireland.

Having beaten Slovakia last Friday, Russia ends its campaign at home to an Andorra side which has lost all nine of its qualifiers so far and conceded 19 goals in the process.

That makes Russia overwhelming favourites for a victory which would secure top spot in the group, but Advocaat prefers to err on the side of caution.

"Defeat in Zilina (against Slovakia) would most likely have thrown us into second or even third place in the group," the Dutchman said in Sport Express.

"I had to convey this to the players and told them a win was the most important thing.

"We achieved that but we have still not fulfilled our main objective of qualifying. We have made a very important step towards the Euro finals, but we know perfectly well nothing is decided yet.

"Tuesday should bring our work to an end."

Defender Aleksandr Anyukov is suspended for the match, while Yuri Zhirkov could miss out through injury.

Ireland, who were 2-0 winners over Andorra last time out, can still catch the group leaders but will likely be more concerned with holding onto second place and a play-off spot when they take on Armenia.

Just one point separates the Irish from its Eastern European opponents ahead of their meeting in Dublin.

Armenia have scored 11 goals in its last three qualifiers, but Ireland defender Sean St Ledger is hopeful they can halt that form.

He said on www.fai.ie: "Armenia are a very good side, sharp and quick with the ball, and I know from when we played them away earlier in the group last year how strong they are on the attack.

"Armenia are the team with all the momentum but hopefully we can stop that on Tuesday.

"We're on a roll ourselves at the moment with clean sheets. We've got eight in a row now, so why can't we go and make it nine, 10 or 11?"

Slovakia saw its hopes of finishing in the top-two ended with defeat to Russia last week.

That result left them fourth in the group, six points behind the leaders, but they will aim to end qualifying on a high note when they travel to a Macedonia side who was hammered 4-1 by Armenia in its last match.

The 31-year-old was sent for a scan after complaining of soreness in his abductor muscle after his return from the 2-0 victory in Andorra, although manager Giovanni Trapattoni suggested that was precautionary.

However, the Football Association of Ireland confirmed that his participation in the game could be under threat.

A spokesman said: "Following a medical update after training, Giovanni Trapattoni has said that Robbie Keane is a strong doubt ahead of Tuesday's match against Armenia."

If Keane does not make it, that will represent a huge blow to Ireland as it attempts to claim the point it needs to book a play-off place.

The LA Galaxy frontman is his country's record international scorer with 51 goals, although he passed up a series of chances to add to his tally in Andorra.

Keane has embarked upon a series of gruelling trans-Atlantic journeys to play for the Republic since heading to the United States, although he insisted earlier this week that he is feeling no ill effects.

One positive for Trapattoni is that his preferred strike-partner for his skipper, Kevin Doyle, looked to be back to his best after regaining his match sharpness after a knee problem, while Jonathan Walters also linked up with the squad after recovering from an ankle injury.

Should the Russians beat Andorra in Moscow, even victory for the Irish will secure only second place in Group B.

Barring a shock of monumental proportions, Trapattoni's men seem likely to have to be satisfied with yet another play-off adventure, and a point against Armenia would keep the group's dark horse at bay.

Armenia, which lost 1-0 at home to Ireland in the first round of qualifiers in September last year, has won each of its last three games, against Andorra, Slovakia and FYR Macedonia, and scored 11 goals in the process.

But asked if he had been surprised by its late surge, Trapattoni said: "No. Maybe if you know the players who play for Armenia, it is not a surprise.

"The Armenian players play in strong leagues, and some of our players play in the Championship.

"If you think about it, it is no surprise.

"We must play with 100 percent mentality and 100 percent attitude and 100 percent concentration, and be careful of silly mistakes.

"We are in this position because of one or two silly mistakes against Russia, for example.

"Armenia is a very, very strong team. They have scored more goals than us and we must pay very, very much attention."

The 72-year-old Italian will send his team into its final group game with his own future still undecided amid speculation that he will be offered an extended contract should he guide it to the play-offs.

However, as his second qualifying campaign draws to a close - the first ended in a controversial aggregate defeat by France which denied him a trip to the World Cup in South Africa - Trapattoni is confident significant progress has been made.

He said: "At this stage, I hope I have succeeded in instilling a mentality in our players.

"Unfortunately, I am quite demanding because in the past, I have built this mentality with teams I have previously managed.

"I am very pleased with our way, but we can improve again.

"Yesterday evening, I said we want to look at Manchester United. Obviously, we do not have the players of Manchester United, but with their mentality, with attitude, with balance, I think we can achieve."

Ireland's Rugby World Cup exit was unfolding as Trapattoni and his players touched down in Dublin during the early hours of the morning after a gruelling trip back from Andorra.

Trapattoni said: "I am sorry that Ireland lost in rugby against Wales because Brian O'Driscoll and his team are our friends and we wished them to do well.

"But sport is sport and it teaches us that when we have the right mentality, we can achieve every result."

The nation had been swathed in optimism in the run-up to the quarter-final, but as O'Driscoll and his team-mates prepare to head home, attention will turn to its football counterpart once again.

However, that is a pressure Trapattoni is happy to take on.

He said: "In the first qualifying campaign for the World Cup, we deserved to achieve the minimum of a play-off place.

"You saw the games against France and with a bit of luck - or without bad luck - we could have achieved this.

"We feel this pressure. No, it's not pressure, it is commitment."

Left-back Stephen Ward is suspended as a result of his second booking of the competition, but Richard Dunne is available after completing his ban.

The 26-year-old Wolverhampton Wanderers fullback is suspended for Tuesday evening's (Wednesday morning AEDT) final Group B qualifier against Armenia, in which the Republic needs just a point to ensure a place in the play-offs.

Ward picked up his second caution of the campaign during his side's 2-0 win in Andorra with Czech referee Libor Kovarik booking him for diving as he went into a challenge.

Ward said: "I thought it was very harsh, to be honest. He clipped me as I went down, so I don't think I intentionally had a dive.

"I don't think it was a yellow card.

"It's just one of those things, it's disappointing. He clipped me, so what else can I do? It should have been a penalty.

"All the lads have seen it and they think it was as well."

Ward won his seventh senior cap at the Estadi Comunal after getting the nod at left-back with the vastly-experienced Kevin Kilbane injured.

However, there will be nothing he can do to help his team-mates as they attempt to finish the job they started back in September last year.

He said: "It's going to be a nightmare, but I am sure the lads will be fine.

"We have enough in the side to beat them and make sure we definitely at least get the play-off spot."

The 31-year-old made the gruelling trip from Los Angeles to Moscow and back last month and has crossed several time zones once again to lead his country into battle in Andorra on Saturday morning (AEDT).

However, Keane insists he is none the worse for the thousands of air miles.

He said: "I have been sleeping the same as I would. The last week has been fine, sleeping as normal, so I have no complaints there at all.

"As soon as I leave, I switch the clock and I have been lucky enough that I've slept really well and it's been fine."

Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni will hope the Los Angeles Galaxy striker is at his sharpest at the Estadi Comunal as his side attempts to secure the three points it needs to take into Wednesday morning's (AEDT) final Group B clash with Armenia with qualification still up for grabs.

Six points from the two games would guarantee the Republic at least a play-off spot, but should Slovakia beat leader Russia, two wins would send the Irish straight to Poland and Ukraine.

That may be easier said than done, however, in the relatively humble surroundings of a tiny stadium on a tight, uneven pitch.

Asked when he last played at a venue like that, Keane replied: "It was probably a reserve game when I was at Wolves, maybe.

"But we can't be worrying too much about the pitch or the stadium because when we were younger, a lot of us played on pitches like this.

"Of course, over the years we have been spoiled playing in great stadiums and on great pitches, but it's the same for both teams, so we can't have any excuses.

"We have to stop that now. After the game, whatever happens, we will have no excuses.

"We are looking forward to the game. Of course it is different circumstances to what we are used to, but just have to get on with it."

Unlike in Moscow, when Ireland went into the game as underdogs, it will run out as hot favourite.

However, Keane insists their mindset must be just the same.

He said: "You go into every game wanting to win. We are the clear favourites and rightly so, but we have to just concentrate on what we are doing and focus on our own jobs.

"We can't just come here and think we are just going to get three points and that's it, and walk out.

"We have to earn it and give 100%, and we will do that."

Wigan midfielder James McCarthy did not train on Thursday due to a head cold but is expected to be fit for the game.

The 20-year-old Wigan Athletic midfielder found himself in the firing line late last season as international boss Giovanni Trapattoni expressed his frustration at injured players not reporting for duty to be assessed.

Indeed, such was the Italian's annoyance at the likes of McCarthy and Stoke City pair Jon Walters and Marc Wilson not heading for Dublin on more than one occasion that he left them out of his squad for last month's Euro 2012 qualifiers against Slovakia and Russia.

McCarthy was ultimately drafted back into the senior party for the second game after initially reporting for duty with the Under-21s, and he is back in harness for the Group B clashes with Andorra on Friday evening (Saturday morning AEDT) and Armenia next Tuesday evening (Wednesday morning AEDT).

He said: "It was nothing, to be honest. I think people have maybe just blown it out of proportion.

"There were maybe a couple of wee mix-ups here and there, but to be honest, it wasn't as much as people have made it out to be.

"Everything is fine. Me and the boss get on well, as everyone gets on well with him. Nothing has been said."

Glasgow-born McCarthy, of course, found himself at the centre of a tug-of-love between the Republic and Scotland, but insisted it was always Ireland for whom he wanted to play and that is a decision he has never regretted.

He said: "As a young boy when I got the first call-up, I have always wanted to play for Ireland since then and I am delighted to be part of the squad.

"Anything that has been said in the press maybe doubting me here or there, it's just one of those things. Maybe someone has picked something up wrongly.

"I am delighted to represent Ireland and I am delighted to be here this week hopefully trying to get two wins.

"To be honest, these things happen now and again, just people blowing things out of proportion and as a player, you just need to get your head down and keep working hard.

"At that moment in time, I was injured. My physio contacted the Irish medical staff and I think something was said and maybe someone has just blown it out of proportion, as I said."

Wigan midfielder McCarthy and Stoke striker Walters were left out of the party for the clashes with Slovakia and Russia earlier this month - McCarthy was later elevated from the Under-21s for the second game - after withdrawing from previous squads as the Italian sent out a message, while Coleman was injured.

All three were included in a 27-man party, although there was no place for Newcastle's in-form striker Leon Best.

Ireland travels to Andorra on Friday, October 7 and hosts Armenia at the Aviva Stadium four days later in its final two Group B games knowing victories in both would certainly cement second place and a playoff berth, but could yet clinch automatic qualification.

The Republic trails leader Russia by two points after their 0-0 draw in Moscow on September 6.

However, Dick Advocaat's men will play in Slovakia on October 7 knowing anything less than full revenge for their 1-0 home defeat by the same team in September last year could let the Irish in.

Dunne produced two superb blocks and ended the game with four stitches in a head wound as Ireland managed to cling on for its first ever point in Moscow.

Given was equally resilient as he pulled off a string of fine saves, including a vital late stop from Konstantin Zyryanov, to claim a seventh successive clean sheet for his team which kept it firmly in the race for Euro 2012 qualification.

Trapattoni said of Dunne's performance: "He was fantastic. I thank God that we had Richard in this game.

"He sacrificed himself because he went back on to the pitch with four stitches. He understood the need to stay on the pitch.

"Shay Given also saved two or three goals. They were fantastic saves."

Dunne had to have stitches after suffering a head wound in a challenge on Yuri Zhirkov which cost him a second booking in as many games which will rule him out of next month's trip to Andorra.

He was made to change his shirt, but with no number five replacement on the sidelines, goalkeeping coach Alan Kelly had to write the number on a plain shirt in felt-tipped pen.

Trapattoni said: "In life, these things happen. We forgot the reserve shirt. We wrote the number five and thank God, he went back on to the pitch immediately."

Ireland was under the cosh almost from the off as Russia set about the task of easing its way further clear in the race for automatic qualification from Group B.

Dick Advocaat's men blasted their way into a 3-0 lead in Dublin in October before being pegged back to 3-2, and it looked as though there was every chance of them doing something similar on the artificial surface at the Luzhniki Stadium.

However, they had not reckoned with the resilience of a Republic side which kept its seventh successive clean sheet, although just how they managed it is likely to go down in Irish folklore.

Russia might have won handsomely had it not been for Aston Villa pair Given and Dunne, who repeatedly defied the odds to keep the home side at bay.

Given saved from Andrey Arshavin and Igor Semshov before the break, but had to pull off a remarkable stop to keep out Zyryanov's diving header with just two minutes remaining.

Dunne was equally heroic, and Semshov, who later wasted a glorious opportunity to win the game, may never know how the defender blocked his goal-bound effort before the break before doing the same to repel Roman Shirokov's shot after it.

Trapattoni was quick to admit that his team had ridden its luck on the night.

He said: "It is impossible not to recognise that we have been lucky in this 90 minutes.

"The determination and the application on the pitch of the team, particularly of the senior players like Richard Dunne, Shay Given, Keith Andrews, Aiden McGeady was the pull for the younger players who gained confidence from them.

"That balance allowed us to achieve what I call a golden point.

"With this result, we can look to the future because we have cleared a big obstacle tonight.

"I told the players St Patrick was looking down on us tonight."

Russia boss Dick Advocaat could not fault his players for their efforts, but admitted the failure to take their chances had proved costly.

He said: "I always start by saying that I'm happy with the result or not happy with the result so tonight, I will start by saying I'm not happy with the result.

"Without being chauvinistic, Russia played an excellent game, 90 minutes controlling the game and created seven or eight 100% chances, so I can only give my players praise for the way they played tonight."

Advocaat's men will welcome the Republic to the Luzhniki Stadium on Wednesday (AEST) having established a two-point lead at the top of Group B as a result of a 1-0 home win over Macedonia on Saturday.

Ireland could only draw 0-0 with Slovakia at the Aviva Stadium on the same evening, and defeat in Moscow would surely leave them scrambling to claim a ticket for yet another playoff lottery.

The Russians will be without injured goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev and suspended midfielder Igor Denisov, but the Republic will have to do without Sean St Ledger, who is also banned, and the injured Kevin Kilbane, John O'Shea and Shane Long.

However, Advocaat has seen enough of Giovanni Trapattoni's team to know that may not necessarily make a great deal of difference.

He said: "We know the way they play, and it doesn't matter who is playing.

"They can bring an Under-21 team, but the commitment is 100 per cent and they are always difficult to play against.

"They work and they try because that's the temperament of the guys from Ireland, so you can't underestimate them at all.

"We need to play our own system - that works and hopefully it can again.

"It will be a crucial match for both of us, very important. Hopefully we can continue like we have been doing results-wise.

"But we also know in principle Ireland have to win to stay in the group, so it will be a very interesting game."

Trapattoni, unlike his opposite number, named his team on Tuesday and there were no surprises in it as Darren O'Dea replaced St Ledger in central defence and Stephen Kelly was asked to take over from O'Shea at right-back.

However, Advocaat, whose side won 3-2 in Dublin in October, is expecting little to change as he explained earlier comments suggesting tackling Ireland would be more straightforward in some senses than the Macedonia game.

He said: "It's not easier in terms of playing, but it's easier in the way that we know the opponent, so we can't be surprised."

Russia was criticised for wasted opportunities in a 1-0 win over a young FYR Macedonia team and faces a much tougher test against the Irish, who have not conceded a goal in their last six matches.

Russia is two points ahead of Ireland and Slovakia, who share second place with 14 points from seven games in Group B.

"It will be a different match compared to the one with Macedonia," Russia and Arsenal midfielder Andrei Arshavin said. "The Irish players will frequently use long passes. But at the same time they are not accustomed to playing on the artificial pitch."

Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given considers that to be 'an unfair advantage'.

"They're the only team in Europe who play on a plastic pitch," he said.

Russia coach Dick Advocaat was satisfied with the result against FYR Macedonia and especially how his team played in the second half.

"We saw how we should play," Advocaat said. "We will have a difficult game on Tuesday - we need points."

Russia will have centre-back Sergei Ignashevich returning from suspension but will be without suspended midfielder Igor Denisov.

"He's an excellent player, a combative defensive midfielder," Advocaat said of Denisov. "But we have other players who can play in this position."

Ireland has a growing injury list ahead of the crunch match, with John O'Shea the latest player to pull out.

The versatile Sunderland defender withdrew because of calf and hip strains to join left-back Kevin Kilbane (back) and striker Shane Long (calf) on the injury list.

Winger Aiden McGeady and striker Kevin Doyle are struggling for full match fitness after lengthy lay-offs while Given is nursing a back problem.

Ireland drew 0-0 with Slovakia, a blow to its qualification hopes but assistant coach Marco Tardelli remains confident.

"We played against a very tough team - their world ranking is 10 places before us and they are in the same position as us in the table," he said. "The result was not very good for us, but we played very well in the second half. We missed three or four good opportunities and I think it is possible to go to Russia and play to win."

Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni is not expected to change his tactics in Moscow.

"No panic. There might be one day of disappointment after Slovakia, but then the confidence comes back," Trapattoni said.

"If we create the same opportunities, it's vital that we take them. I would have been more disappointed against Slovakia if we had not created chances but now, we need to score."

Russia is expected to have a sold-out crowd of 83,000.

Slovakia is at home against Armenia and also needs a victory as it will host Russia in October. Armenia upset Slovakia 3-1 in Yerevan last October and will try to prove it was not an accident.

O'Shea, who finished the 0-0 draw with Slovakia with a sore Achilles tendon, is being treated for a calf injury, although assistant manager Marco Tardelli is hopeful that he will be fit to play in Moscow.

The Sunderland defender, who started at right-back against the Slovakians, is a candidate to replace the suspended Sean St Ledger in Moscow,

Trapattoni also has concerns about keeper Shay Given, who was struggling with a back injury ahead of the Slovakia game.

Given did not train at Malahide on Sunday as medical staff assessed his problem.

The 25-year-old Spartak Moscow man, who had only a few minutes of football under his belt after two months out with ankle ligament damage, started his side's 0-0 Euro 2012 qualifier draw with Slovakia in Dublin, and struggled to force his way into a tight game.

McGeady later revealed he was fighting for breath as he attempted to find his fitness on the pitch.

Asked if he was fully fit, he replied: "Not really, to be honest. In training, I felt okay, I felt quite sharp, but a game is totally different.

"Even in the first half, I felt quite out of breath. It's the first competitive football I have played in almost three months and I definitely felt the effects of it.

"There were times in the game when I just felt I had given away the ball cheaply - obviously, that's nothing to do with lack of fitness, but I wasn't myself, I don't think.

"I just felt I wasn't quick off the mark, I wasn't sharp. I was just a yard off the play.

"It's obviously disappointing, but I would never turn down a chance to play for Ireland. The manager wanted me to play, so I answered his call."

However, Trapattoni, who eventually replaced McGeady with Stephen Hunt after 85 minutes, was unrepentant when asked about his decision to keep the former Celtic man on the pitch.

He said: "The opponents were scared of him. I didn't change him earlier because he was playing well.

"He said to me he was okay. He was out for two months with an injury, like [Kevin] Doyle.

"We know, you know, we all know. Doyle was the same, he was out for two months with a knee injury. McGeady, I know this problem.

"It's easy to say that today. When you speak about it after the game, it's always easier. But you have to decide.

"Also in Russia, who plays, Hunt or McGeady? He [McGeady] plays in Russia and has the mentality.

"You can decide - and then tomorrow say, 'Would it not have been better to play the other?'."

Asked further if he was happy McGeady was fit enough to start at the Luzhniki Stadium, where he plays his club football, on Tuesday afternoon (Wednesday morning AEST), Trapattoni insisted he would have no qualms about selecting him, although admitted he is not yet ready to play a full game.

He said: "Sure. He is not fit for 90 minutes and I know also Doyle is not fit for 90 minutes because he was out for two months. He was injured for pre-season."

Trapattoni's stance with McGeady is markedly different to the one he has adopted with both Kevin Kilbane and Shane Long.

The fullback headed back to Derby County earlier this week after being ruled out of both games with a back strain, while Long, having withdrawn from the starting line-up against Slovakia with a calf injury, will not be considered for the game in Moscow.

Skipper Robbie Keane and defender John O'Shea, who is one of the candidates to take over from the suspended Sean St Ledger in the heart of the Ireland rearguard, are expected to shake off back and Achilles problems respectively.

While a home draw against the Slovakians represents a setback to the Republic's hopes of securing automatic qualification, Trapattoni remains convinced it is not necessarily fatal.

He said: "Also against Russia, it is possible to win. Every 90 minutes is different.

"If we can create the same opportunities as we did last night, we can score a goal - but we must take at least one of those opportunities."

If Ireland is to rekindle its campaign, it will have to do so on the artificial playing surface at the Luzhniki, although Trapattoni, whose Red Bull Salzburg side also played on a plastic pitch during his reign, is unconcerned.

He said: "It's the same for both teams."

Ireland had to make do with a single point from its home clash with Slovakia as skipper Robbie Keane and substitute Simon Cox passed up glorious late opportunities to win the game and bring their side back on terms with the Russians, who beat Macedonia 1-0, at the top of Group B.

However, they will head for the artificial pitch at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium two points adrift and knowing that automatic qualification could be all but beyond them if they do not return with all three points.

Trapattoni said: "We must think it is possible to win in Russia - why not? It is important to believe this.

"Today, we were first in the table because we had scored more goals than Russia, 11 against nine, and now they have 10.

"Yes, they have 16 points, but it is important now to play with the same application and order and with this attitude and mentality.

"Our defence was very, very strong tonight and we didn't concede a goal."

Ireland was booed off the pitch by a disappointed home crowd on the final whistle, and it will fly to Moscow on Sunday without central defender Sean St Ledger, who is suspended after picking up a late booking.

But it could have been so different had Keane taken the kind of opportunity he has made a habit of burying throughout his international career.

There were 16 minutes remaining when Damien Duff stepped inside on to his left foot to curl the most inviting of crosses to the far post.

Keane rose unopposed and seemed certain to score, but he mistimed his header and the ball came off a combination of neck and shoulder and dropped agonisingly wide.

In truth, had Keane converted that chance and collected his 52nd goal for his country, it would have secured a win his side did not really deserve after a below-par performance.

Manager Giovanni Trapattoni yesterday named the in-form West Brom frontman in his starting line-up instead of Robbie Keane's usual partner Kevin Doyle, and spoke of the particular threat he would pose to the Slovakian defence.

However, he has been forced to change his plans and Doyle will start alongside Keane in the vital Group B clash.

Kilbane was on Thursday ruled out of the Euro 2012 Group B qualifier against with Slovakia at the Aviva Stadium and Tuesday night's trip to Russia with a back strain.

That means his remarkable record of having appeared in every competitive game Ireland have played since November 1999 is finally over.

Kilbane told the Irish Daily Mail: "The run was always going to come to an end at some point, and 66 isn't bad. But it's not the record which is really disappointing me.

"These are two massive matches for Ireland and I desperately wanted to play and be there for my country."

The 34-year-old Derby full-back's place will be taken by Wolves' Stephen Ward, one of a new generation of internationals to have benefited from manager Giovanni Trapattoni's search for fresh talent.

But while Kilbane's disappointment is understandable, he will be cheering on his replacement from afar.

He said: "I am just sorry I won't be part of it tonight, but I genuinely wish Stephen Ward all the best.

"He has been producing consistently for Wolves for the last couple of years and really deserves his chance. I hope it goes really well for him, I have absolutely no doubt he will perform.

"And if the manager still wants to pick me to play for Ireland, I am still available."

In the meantime, Kilbane will return to the ranks as an Ireland supporter, and plans to watch the Slovakia game on television.

He said: "If the manager will give me permission, I'll watch the match in the pub near home instead - lemonade only, of course. But I'm gutted I'm not playing.

"Obviously I am very proud of the record. I feel thankful and proud that I have played so many games for my country and grateful that managers have continued to pick me."

The LA Galaxy striker is due to arrive in Dublin to meet up with the rest of the squad ahead of Friday night's Group B clash with Slovakia at the Aviva Stadium and next Tuesday's potentially decisive trip to Russia.

Keane, 31, has scored 51 goals in 109 senior appearances for Ireland and represents Trapattoni's most potent weapon as the Italian attempts to guide the Republic to the finals of a major tournament for the first time since the 2002 World Cup.

But the Italian has no fears that the trans-Atlantic commute will affect the striker, who assured him of his commitment to international football as he headed into Major League Soccer.

Trapattoni said: "I spoke with him and he went with enthusiasm. He told me he was happy.

"He wished also to be with the Irish team and he will be with us this week.

"I am sure also now after one day's rest he can play despite the long flight."

Keane scored on his debut for the Galaxy in a 2-0 win over San Jose Earthquakes on August 20, and also started against Costa Rican champion Alajuelense in the CONCACAF Champions League on Thursday as his side ran out victor by the same score.

While the much-travelled frontman has become something of a talisman for his country over the years, he now enjoys a measure of support from a new generation of Irish strikers.

Kevin Doyle has established himself as Keane's main foil, but the emergence of Shane Long and new West Brom team-mate Simon Cox as genuine options has given Trapattoni real choice.

The manager said: "It's important to have these options. In the 90 minutes, we can start and then change.

"It's very important to choose every option."

The Slovakia and Russia games will have a major say in the outcome of the group, with the three sides involved locked together at the top of the table on 13 points.

Ireland lost at home to Russian and drew in Slovakia in October, and there has been little to choose between the teams throughout the campaign to date.

But while Trapattoni is fully aware of the magnitude of the double-header, he is refusing even to contemplate what lies ahead in Moscow next week until the first encounter has been negotiated.

He said: "We must prepare for these two games with more attention. I say more because it is always important to improve.

"Every game shows us or teaches us that it is possible to improve again.

"For example, for the last [friendly] game against Croatia, we were missing two or three important players. But the players who came in played well, and I am confident about them.

"I saw how it's possible to improve not only the system, but the attitude, mentality and how it's possible to achieve the result when we are missing one or two important players.

"Now against Slovakia and against Russia, we need to start with the winning mentality because I think we can do that.

"But we have to think about Russia only after three days."

Trapattoni also returned to a familiar theme when talk of a boozy bust-up at the team hotel in May was raised, and insisted that, although he does not mind his players having a drink after a game, they must stick to his rules.

He said: "Two or three months ago, I allowed them to drink beer. Why not? In Italy we drink wine.

"We don't need any secrets. Everything has to be clear. We can allow it as long as at 11 o'clock, they come back."

Fahey, an unused substitute in his club's 2-2 Championship draw at Watford, has been ruled out with a groin problem.

Goalkeeper Shay Given suffered a back strain in Aston Villa's 0-0 derby draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers, but is expected to be fit for the clash with the Slovakians at the Aviva Stadium.

The 35-year-old is undergoing treatment at Villa as a precaution and will join up with his international team-mates on Tuesday.

Giovanni Trapattoni's men, who also face a tough trip to Moscow on 6 September, currently lies joint top of Group B, level on 13 points with its next two opponents.

The Italian was unhappy that Wigan Athletic midfielder and the Stoke City pair did not report for Carling Nations Cup duty in May, and he saw them withdraw from the squad once again for the friendly clash with Croatia earlier this month.

In whittling his initial squad down to 25, he made his feelings abundantly clear, although McCarthy has been made available for selection for the Under-21s and could yet return to contention should he be required.

Trapattoni said: "Picking the final 25 players for the squad has not been an easy task, and unfortunately some players have been left out.

"We will continue to monitor their progress with their clubs and call them up if necessary."

Wigan was adamant McCarthy was struggling with an ankle injury when he initially failed to meet up with the Ireland squad.

However, former Italy coach Trapattoni believes all players should report even if they are injured so they can be assessed by medical staff.

Defenders Paul McShane and Seamus Coleman are also missing, but they have been left out because of injury.

Sunderland defender John O'Shea is included despite having yet to play a competitive game for his new club because of a hamstring problem picked up during pre-season.

There are places too for the Republic's most-capped international Shay Given and fellow centurions Kevin Kilbane, now at Derby County, and Los Angeles Galaxy striker Robbie Keane.

Ireland faces Slovakia at the Aviva Stadium on 2 September and Russia in Moscow four days later in a double-header which could well determine the outcome of Group B.

The three sides are currently locked together at the top of the group on 13 points.

Russia won 3-2 in Dublin on 8 October, but Trapattoni's men bounced back from that disappointment to claim a point in Slovakia four days later.

Home and away victories over FYR Macedonia since have kept the Republic firmly in the race for qualification for the finals of a major tournament for the first time since the 2002 World Cup in the Far East with Russia managing only a draw in Armenia in March.

Republic of Ireland squad: Given (Aston Villa), Westwood (Sunderland), Forde (Millwall), O'Shea (Sunderland), Foley (Wolves), Kelly (Fulham), Ward (Wolves), Dunne (Aston Villa), Kilbane (Derby), St Ledger (Leicester), O'Dea (Leeds), Whelan (Stoke), Gibson (Manchester United), Andrews (Ipswich), Fahey (Birmingham), Keogh (Leeds), Duff (Fulham), McGeady (Spartak Moscow), Hunt (Wolves), Lawrence (Portsmouth), Treacy (Burnley), Keane (Los Angeles Galaxy), Doyle (Wolves), Long (West Brom), Cox (West Brom)

The 31-year-old completed his move to Major League Soccer from Tottenham this week and, while he is looking forward to his American adventure, he has no plans to turn his back on his country.

"Throughout my career I've always been committed to Ireland and that won't change," he said at his presentation.

"We have two massive games next month. I'm with the Galaxy and I'm 100 per cent committed to them and then when I'm with Ireland likewise.

"Nothing will change unless the manager of Ireland (Giovanni Trapattoni) tells me different.

"I've been very fortunate with Ireland, had some fantastic years and we're in a great position at the moment."

Keane insisted he did not have to think twice about making the move to Los Angeles.

"It's been a hectic six or seven days," he said. "I got a phone call early Friday morning from my representatives saying they're interested. Straight away I told them to make the deal happen - that's how interested I was.

"I'd like to thank everyone who made this deal happen so quickly."

The former Inter Milan, Liverpool and Leeds forward had been linked with a move to Leicester before agreeing the switch across the pond, but insisted he had had no contact with the npower Championship club.

On whether he had rejected the Foxes, he said: "As a player I have to be asked [in order to reject] and the clubs have to agree a fee. As far as I'm aware the club didn't agree a fee with anyone in the Championship."

Keane could make his MLS debut at the weekend against San Jose - and he cannot wait.

"It's always nice to get thrown in straight away," he said. "I always like to play games and that's why I'm here.

"I'm really looking forward to the game. I'm not too sure how the jetlag is going to affect me but I feel good."

Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena confirmed he plans to use Keane in some capacity this weekend.

"We'll be smart about it," he said. "We know about the travel and we'll make a decision before game time. I think you can expect he'll be on the field though."

Keane has already set his sights on winning silverware with his new team.

"I'm not here to be on my holidays, to be in Los Angeles," he said. I'm here to win things, to score a lot of goals."

Keane was unveiled as a Galaxy player at a press conference alongside Arena and new teammates David Beckham and Landon Donovan.

Asked what part he had played in convincing Keane to switch to Los Angeles when he trained with Spurs earlier this year, Beckham said: "Many players ask me about the league, our club, our players, our franchise, and I always speak the truth: It's a great league, a league that's growing. We've got great players and a great manager."

But he knows they will need to show more cutting edge going forward when its Euro 2012 qualifying matches against Slovakia and Russia comes around next month.

The 0-0 draw at the Aviva Stadium was in many ways a creditable result for the Republic, who were facing a team ranked ninth in the world and with a first XI which included Tottenham trio Luka Modric, Niko Kranjcar and Vedran Corluka.

The goalscoring chances the hosts created were few and far between though, and Trapattoni wants his attack to show greater potency in the qualifying games on September 2 and 6, when Ireland play the two sides they are currently locked together with on 13 points at the top of Group B.

"When the players are incisive we can make a difference. In qualifying we have to do this," the Italian said.

The Republic went into the contest with Croatia having won its previous four fixtures without conceding a goal, and referring to the latest shut-out, Trapattoni said: "I am happy for this.

"Before the game, when we prepare, I repeat the same lesson because when I was first here, two or three little situations were changing our results.

"The team has improved very much in these situations."

Although generally sound in defence, Ireland did appear lucky not to give away a penalty in the first half as clumsy challenges in the box by Glenn Whelan and Stephen Kelly went unpunished.

Asked if felt the Irish had been fortunate in that respect, Trapattoni said: "I don't know - if I had a television replay I could confirm or not. The referee let it go and he was near enough."

Croatia boss Slaven Bilic certainly felt one of the incidents should have yielded a spot-kick.

"We were controlling the game in their half, and with a little bit of luck or with a little bit more concentration in the last part of the pitch, we could have won the game," Bilic said.

"If you add the penalty - which was obvious - for us in the first half, I think that we are the ones who should have created a result."

A succession of players pulled out of Trapattoni's squad due to injury in the build-up to the match, and the 72-year-old is not confident striker Kevin Doyle - who withdrew on Tuesday - will be available for the clashes with Slovakia and Russia.

Overall, though, he is feeling positive about the options at his disposal and the progress Ireland are making.

Trapattoni said: "With our quality and attitude now, I ask the team only this - to remember what we have done over the last few months."

Goals from Keith Andrews and substitute Simon Cox secured an impressive 2-0 win over the Italian side in Liege and extended the manager's unbeaten run against the side he once managed to three games.

Italy edged Ireland into second place in the last World Cup qualifying campaign but could only draw with it home and away, and but for a late Alberto Gilardino equaliser in Dublin, Trapattoni would not have had to wait quite so long to taste victory against it.

But he was adamant he had no qualms about ruining the evening for his compatriots and his former player at Juventus, Cesare Prandelli, the current national coach.

Trapattoni said: "I knew this question was going to come up. For those who know me, they know I want to win all the time, even if I am playing darts.

"We have been very unlucky in the past against Italy, but that doesn't mean I came into this game with a sense of revenge against my own country."

An Italy team featuring big names Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Pirlo and Giuseppe Rossi dominated possession against a largely second-string Republic, but could not trouble keeper David Forde throughout.

The Millwall man was superbly protected by the men in front of him as Ireland drew the sting before edging its way in front with Andrews' 36th-minute piledriver.

It was backs-to-the wall once again after the break but, as Italy laboured without reward, Cox made sure at the death when he turned home Stephen Hunt's pinpoint cross.

Trapattoni said: "We won this match because of our attitude, because of our mentality, because of the way in which we played.

"The lads have finally understood that in order to achieve a result this is the way to play, with this mentality and with this attitude on the pitch.

"As I always say to you, if I want to see a show, I will go to the theatre. But football is about getting results."

Cox, whose strike was his second in four appearances for his country, was delighted for himself, his team-mates and especially his manager.

He said: "I think it meant a lot to the manager tonight, so whoever was going to come in was going to put in a terrific grafting performance for him and for their own personal performances anyway.

"You could just see it in his eyes and the way he did his pre-match talk and everything, you could see how much the fire was burning inside him and that he wanted to put in a good performance."

By contrast, Prandelli was not a happy man as he reflected on an unexpected defeat.

He said: "This game was a serious step back. We made mistakes because the team couldn't understand the method of play.

"But it's better to lose in an international friendly than in a qualifier.

"If we have to lose, it's better to lose to Trap."

A crowd of over 21,000 witnessed the surprise result on neutral territory in Belgium, as Keith Andrews and Simon Cox got the goals for the Republic.

Blackburn Rovers midfielder Andrews' sweet 36th-minute strike and a close-range finish from substitute Cox late on secured a fourth successive win for the Republic and extended Trapattoni's unbeaten record against the team he once coached to three games.

Austria came from 1-0 down to beat Latvia 3-1 in Graz, ending a run of five straight defeats.

Pavels Mihadjuks put Latvia ahead in the 49th minute, but Austria finished the match strongly, levelling with 15 minutes remaining when young defender Christopher Dibon headed in before Martin Harnik netted a late double, the second a penalty.

The game finished shamefully for Latvia, which had three men sent off in the late stages.

Mihadjuks was dismissed after a second bookable offence in the 88th minute, and Andris Vanins and Oskars Klava both saw red before the final whistle.

Norway secured a 1-0 home win over Lithuania, with Blackburn winger Morten Gamst Pedersen the match-winner.

Pedersen netted in the 84th minute, volleying in from close range after his penalty was parried.

Russia and Cameroon played out a goalless draw in their friendly, staged in Salzburg.

Elsewhere, Paraguay shared a goalless draw with Bolivia.

And Ecuador and Greece drew 1-1 at Citi Field, the home of New York Mets.

Defender Frickson Erazo got the equaliser for Ecuador after 58 minutes, after Alexandros Tziolis' 15th-minute opener.

Keane became the first player from Great Britain and Ireland to score 50 senior international goals when he blasted the Republic into an eighth-minute lead in Skopje, and his nerveless 37th-minute strike made sure of three precious Euro 2012 qualifying points.

The 30-year-old's contribution in his 108th appearance was all the more impressive as he had to have a pain-killing injection in his groin before kick-off, and he was clearly labouring as an energy-sapping contest at the Philip II Stadium drew to a close.

Long, who along with Kevin Doyle, Jonathan Walters and newcomer Simon Cox, is working hard to prove that there will be life after Keane when he eventually hangs up his boots, was full of praise for a man he regards as a role model.

The Reading frontman said: "It's extraordinary when you look at it - and he hasn't played that many games as well.

"I think it's one in two, and close to that ratio is a great record to have in international football.

"It will take some beating.

"He's brilliant. He turns up to every game he can. Every game he's called upon, he will do his best to be there.

"Last night, he played with half a leg, really, his groin was gone.

"It shows the desire he has. You don't score 51 goals for your country without that passion."

It is a measure of Keane's commitment to the Ireland cause that he insisted on the eve of the game he would play, despite having limped out of the final training session in Malahide a day earlier.

He was equally adamant that reaching his personal landmark was of secondary importance to securing the victory his side needed to maintain pace with Slovakia and Russia at the top of Group B, but he was delighted to have managed both despite the effect his exertions had on his body.

Asked about his injury, Keane said: "It's a bit sore now. I had to get an injection before the game, but it's okay now.

"The last 15 minutes I started to feel it a bit. It's a little bit sore now, but who cares?

"The other teams won as well, so it was important for us to stay amongst the group, and we did that.

"I thought we were superb. It will probably go down as a great team performance."

Keane's double put the visitor in the driving seat, but things might have turned out differently had Ivan Trickovski converted a 40th-minute penalty rather than blasting it against the crossbar.

Even then, goalkeeper Shay Given, who had earlier made a fine first-half save from FYR Macedonia skipper Goran Pandev, clawed substitute Mario Durovski's 68th-minute effort out of the top corner despite himself having had an injection at half-time to counteract his own groin problem.

Keane said: "I know his groin was sore because I saw him kicking with his left foot. The two of us were struggling, but we managed to get through it and it's all worthwhile when you get the three points."

The win sets Ireland up perfectly for the September double-header against Slovakia and Russia, which could go a long way towards deciding the outcome of the group.

Long said: "We knew before the game that Russia had won 3-1 and we knew this game was very important to keep on their heels.

"We have got Slovakia and Russia in the next two games and they are massive games.

"But at least we are in a great position now and it's in our hands."

In the meantime, the Republic faces Italy in a friendly in the Belgian city of Liege on Tuesday evening (Wednesday morning AEST), with Given and Kevin Kilbane having been released from duty and Keane likely to join them.

The 30-year-old Republic of Ireland skipper struck for the 50th time for his country after just eight minutes and then added a second with 37 minutes played at the Philip II Stadium in Skopje to ease his side to a vital Euro 2012 victory and exorcise the ghosts of its previous two visits.

In the process, he became the first player from Britain or Ireland to achieve the feat, moving two ahead of Sir Bobby Charlton.

Keane, who had a pain-killing injection in his groin before the game, said: "I am obviously delighted to be associated with some of the names which are there. I am very delighted and very proud to be amongst that elite.

"But for me, it's all about the team and how the team performs. It's all about getting three points, and we did that tonight."

Asked if he ever dreamt of scoring 50 goals when he set out on his senior international career as a 17-year-old, Keane replied: "I think it would be very naive for anyone to think that.

"You can set your stall out to reach certain goals, and my goal was to reach Niall Quinn's record [of 21].

"I reached that and then you look to another one, so I am obviously delighted that I did that.

"When I first came into the Ireland squad, Niall Quinn said to me I would get 50 goals, so it's probably down to him!"

Keane's heroics came in an explosive first half which saw FYR Macedonia midfielder Ivan Trickovski crash a 40th-minute penalty against Shay Given's crossbar, although Ireland eased its way over the finishing line in relative comfort after the break.

The win left Giovanni Trapattoni's men locked together with Russia and Slovakia, who also collected three points, at the top of Group B ahead of September clashes with both.

The Italian said: "Slovakia [at home] is difficult, and then the game in Moscow ...

"But we hope when we go in Russia, we have the possibility to win the group by beating Russia.

"We hope is to get to Russia knowing that if win the match, we can top the group."

Should Keane maintain his prolific scoring rate - his 51 goals have come in just 108 appearances - that could be a distinct possibility.

Trapattoni said: "Not only in Ireland, but I have seen many goalscorers, and he is in this category.

"He has personality in front of the goalkeeper. The first time I was asked about Robbie Keane, I said he could play like [Francesco] Totti and play also behind the striker, and I still have the same opinion."

If Trapattoni headed back to Dublin happy with his night's work, opposite number Mirsad Jonuz was considering his future after a defeat which ended FYR Macedonia's slim hopes of qualification.

He said: "I will spend this night thinking about my job in this qualification, and tell the committee about my decision.

"We should have 10 or 11 points in this group - we have four points. We have played well in this qualification, but that's what we have now."

Dick Advocaat's side remains level on points with the Republic of Ireland and Slovakia, who both also won.

Russia's result was more convincing than its performance.

Marcos Pizelli put the visitor ahead after 25 minutes before Pavlyuchenko took centre stage, the striker equalising almost immediately with a volley before making it 2-1 from close range on the hour mark and adding another with a 73rd-minute penalty.

"We are really satisfied with the result," Russia coach Dick Advocaat told AP afterwards.

"It was a must-win for us today. We were nervous and had problems in the (midfield). We have won, but we must improve our game."

Armenia coach Vardan Minasyan said: "Pavlyuchenko scored both his goals when he was left unmarked in the box. It was our mistake."

Slovakia edged out Andorra 1-0 in Bratislava. Miroslav Karhan got the only goal in the 63rd minute as Slovakia was largely frustrated by the group's whipping boy but did enough to take the three points.

Robbie Keane plundered the 50th and 51st goals of his senior international career to fire the Republic of Ireland to a 2-0 victory against FYR Macedonia.

Keane's strikes after eight and 37 minutes proved enough to secure three precious points.

The victory did not come easily, however, and goalkeeper Shay Given was relieved to see Ivan Trickovski thump a 40th-minute penalty against the crossbar after John O'Shea had been penalised for a foul on Goran Pandev.

England's hopes of finishing top of Group G looked to have been seriously dented by a 2-2 draw with Switzerland at Wembley.

Tranquillo Barnetta struck twice in three minutes from free-kicks to give Switzerland a 2-0 lead.

However, Frank Lampard pulled a goal back before half-time with a penalty after a foul by Johan Djourou on Jack Wilshere, and Ashley Young drove in an equaliser early in the second half.

Montenegro could have pulled two points clear of Fabio Capello's side, but despite taking the lead against Bulgaria it had to settle for a 1-1 draw in Podgorica.

Radomir Djalovic put the Montenegrins ahead after 52 minutes, only for Ivelin Popov to snatch an equaliser 14 minutes later, meaning England remains top of the group on goal difference.

Greece moved to the top of Group F with an easy 3-1 victory over Malta.

First-half goals from Ioannis Fetfatzidis and Kyriakos Papadopoulos set it on its way.

Although Michael Mifsud got one back for Malta early in the second half, Fetfatzidis soon netted his second to restore the two-goal advantage and lift Greece above Croatia and Israel.

"We dominated the first 30 minutes and could have scored more than two goals," Greece coach Fernando Santos told AP.

"After the 35th minute, my players started running aimlessly and out of position.

"We explained to them what to correct at half-time but, unexpectedly, they came out even looser in the second half and Malta started to believe.

"We could have avoided these bad 20 minutes."

Israel overcame the challenge of host Latvia with a 2-1 win to join Croatia on 13 points, one behind Greece.

The visitor dominated the first half and held an interval lead thanks to goals from Yossi Benayoun and Tal Ben-Haim, the latter coming from the penalty spot.

Aleksandrs Cauna gave Latvia hope of a comeback with a spot-kick of his own, but it was unable to find an equaliser.

Portugal, Denmark and Norway are locked together on 10 points at the top of Group H.

Portugal won 1-0 at home to Norway, which lost for the first time in its campaign after gathering three wins and a draw from its opening four games. Helder Postiga's 53rd-minute goal separated the teams.

The Portuguese stand top on goal difference from their two Scandinavian rivals.

Denmark kept its qualifying campaign on track with a 2-0 victory over Iceland.

Goals from Lasse Schone and Christian Eriksen earned Morten Olsen's side its third win of the campaign.

Iceland continues to prop up the standings.

The 35-year-old has endured a frustrating campaign with Manchester City after losing his place to Joe Hart and then suffering a shoulder injury, which required surgery.

However, he returned to action for his country in last week's Nations Cup victories over Northern Ireland and Scotland and will run out at the newly-renovated Philip II Stadium in Skopje intent on completing a hat-trick of wins.

Given said: "It would be good to win this one and finish the season on a high.

"It's important that we get the right result because we would be seething for the whole summer."

A win in Macedonia would complete a double over Mirsad Jonuz's side and take the Republic to 13 points from a possible 18 with it, Slovakia and Russia currently all level on 10.

However, Ireland's last visit to Skopje in October 1999 ended in misery, thanks to a last-gasp Goran Stavreski equaliser which effectively cost the nation a place at the finals of Euro 2000.

Alan Kelly was between the posts that night, but Given remembers it well.

He said: "I was in Donegal with friends watching it. It was heart-breaking for everyone.

"I was talking to Alan Kelly about it and he said the referee said it was the last kick of the game. The corner came in and they scored.

"But that's the past it's about what happens today. Macedonia showed in Dublin they have a pretty good team. They have some very good players going forward.

"But I personally think if we can get at them, they have some weakness at the back and if we impose our game on them, we have a good chance of getting the right result."

Given's return represents a boost for manager Giovanni Trapattoni, who has otherwise had little to cheer with Richard Dunne suspended, the likes of Damien Duff, Kevin Doyle, Darron Gibson, James McCarthy, Mark Wilson and Jonathan Walters injured.

The Italian was unhappy with the late withdrawals of the latter quartet as the club v country debate rumbled on.

Given, like skipper Robbie Keane - who has been ruled fit after a late injury scare - and midfielder Stephen Hunt, admits he struggles to understand why players would not want to turn out for their country.

He said: "When I was younger, I was desperate to come over and meet up and play in the games, and I don't know why that seems to have changed.

"It shouldn't have changed, it should be the same buzz. I still look forward to coming over, and that's after 15 years. I don't understand my colleagues."

Giovanni Trapattoni's side will bring an end to a long season against FYR Macedonia this weekend looking for a victory in Skopje which would maintain its challenge for qualification from Group B.

Ireland has not reached the finals of a major tournament since the 2002 World Cup in the Far East, and has suffered a number of near misses since to leave both the players and fans desperate to end the wait.

Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Hunt said: "We will always be an average team until we qualify, and then we could be heroes if things go well.

"We will sort ourselves out, look ahead to Macedonia and take it from there.

"It will be very competitive. They kicked lumps out of us at our place, so it will be competitive, and they are at home, so it will be difficult, but we are looking to win it."

The Republic edged a physical encounter at the Aviva Stadium in March 2-1 with skipper Robbie Keane's strike once again proving decisive.

Keane took his international tally to 49 with three goals in last week's Carling Nations Cup wins over Northern Ireland and Scotland, and will run out in Macedonia looking to reach a significant landmark.

Potential strike partner Shane Long did not train with his team-mates in Malahide on Tuesday morning after playing in Reading's 4-2 Championship final defeat by Swansea City at Wembley.

Long partnered Keane in the first game between the countries after Kevin Doyle limped off with a nasty knee injury, and was left with stitches in his head and ear after a bruising contest with defender Boban Grncharov.

John O'Shea, Aiden McGeady and Kevin Kilbane did all train, however, joining up after their club commitments, while Sean St Ledger was also put through his paces after a knee injury, although midfielder Darron Gibson is out with a groin problem, much to Trapattoni's annoyance.

Darren O'Dea lined up in central defence for the 1-0 win over Scotland, which clinched the Carling Nations Cup for his country, and with stalwart Richard Dunne suspended, is one of those vying for a start in Skopje.

He started the first game and as a result, knows how tough a game the return will be.

However, like Hunt, he will go into it intent on only one outcome.

O'Dea said: "In every game, you go out to win. We need to win. It's going to be a tough task, but we will give it our best.

"We've got about four or five days now before the game and we will be preparing for that and hopefully we can get the right result."

Ireland is currently in third place in its group, but level on 10 points with leaders Slovakia and Russia in second.

Slovakia entertains pointless Andorra with Russia hosting Armenia, which trails the top three by just two points, and O'Dea is well aware that the fight for a trip to the finals could go all the way to the wire.

He said: "It might, but all we can do is concentrate on Saturday and win that game. Then we go into our next game.

"The most important thing just now is Macedonia and we are all looking forward to it."

The Republic claimed its first trophy in 25 years as it beat Scotland 1-0 in Dublin in the final match of the four-nations tournament.

It completed a perfect campaign for Trapattoni's men, who emphatically beat Wales and Northern Ireland in their other matches.

Trapattoni said: "I said it would not be an easy game but we wanted to win this trophy.

"We are very satisfied. We tried three or four options and these options played very well.

"We scored nine goals and conceded nil. That is a demonstration that the team played with good discipline.

"I was confident about the result and when we play with this discipline and mentality it is possible to achieve every result.

"We can go to Macedonia with more confidence to achieve an important result."

The Republic faces FYR Macedonia in a Euro 2012 qualifier in Skopje next weekend before wrapping up its season with a friendly against Italy in Belgium.

The squad will be bolstered this week by the arrivals of Manchester United pair John O'Shea and Darron Gibson, Aiden McGeady from Spartak Moscow and Huddersfield Town's Kevin Kilbane after club duty.

Trapattoni was also pleased Robbie Keane, whose 49th international goal proved the winner, and Shay Given had good run-outs after frustrating domestic seasons.

He said: "It is not my habit to cry about the English club's situation but this was proof our players can play in any English club.

"I cannot understand why Robbie Keane, Shay or John O'Shea (do not play) but I am not the manager of the clubs.

"They play well with the national team and we win also."

Keane's goal took him level with England legend Sir Bobby Charlton as the most prolific international goalscorer from the British Isles.

The Tottenham Hotspur forward also felt the victory was important for morale ahead of the FYR Macedonia trip.

Keane told Sky Sports: "The most important thing, like in any international game, is to get a win and get the confidence up.

"All you want to do is come into a camp and get that confidence, two wins in a week will do that."

Keane's 23rd-minute strike came after Paul McShane broke up a Scotland move and launched a counter-attack.

It was against the run of play and Scotland spurned numerous chances to get on the scoresheet.

Kenny Miller was angry to be denied a penalty in the second half before testing Given and then firing wide. Given also produced a brilliant early save to deny Phil Bardsley.

Scotland manager Craig Levein said: "Frustration is the first word that jumps into my mind.

"We played the game in a manner that would normally result in at least a draw, possibly a win.

"We played well tonight. Coming across here and playing the Republic at the their home ground wasn't an easy thing to do but for long spells of the game we were the better team.

"We created enough chances tonight to win. You are lucky if you get two or three chances in international football sometimes and we had double that. Normally that would be enough.

"It wasn't to be tonight but I have great admiration for the players and the way they have handled themselves this week.

"They have given absolutely everything they had at the end of a long season and I am sure the supporters will have been very appreciative of their efforts tonight."

Levein was also disappointed the penalty decision went against his side and he refused to castigate goalkeeper Allan McGregor for failing to keep out the shot for Keane's goal.

He said: "I think it was a penalty but sometimes you don't get them.

"Hopefully that one will be saved for the Euros in September or October.

"Allan made a mistake but we shouldn't have let him [Keane] run so far and have space to shoot.

"What pleased me was the efforts to recover from that mistake. We went right to the final whistle and made every effort to win the match."

The striker grabbed the only goal of the game at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin to ensure the host nation lifted the inaugural Carling Nations Cup.

The win also hands the Republic the ideal boost ahead of its Euro 2012 qualifier in FYR Macedonia.

Charlie Adam won his fitness battle but Scotland manager Craig Levein still made four changes from the midweek win over Wales.

James Forrest was handed his debut, while Phil Bardsley, Grant Hanley and Barry Robson also started against the Irish.

Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni made his promised four changes with Darren O'Dea, Keith Fahey, Liam Lawrence and Stephen Hunt featuring.

Scotland created the best of the chances early on. Adam raced onto a Scott Brown pass before unleashing a powerful shot that dipped just over.

Bardsley then tried his luck with an effort from distance that was touched onto the crossbar by goalkeeper Shay Given.

But it was the host which surged into the lead after 24 minutes when Keane collected from Paul McShane on the halfway line before bearing down on goal and slotting home from the edge of the area past goalkeeper Allan McGregor, who should have done better.

Scotland could have been back on level terms within seconds when Robson slotted into the path of Kenny Miller but the striker just failed to connect at full stretch in front of goal and Given was able to collect.

There was another chance to pile on the pressure when O'Dea fouled Robson just outside the box and Adam stepped up for the free-kick but his swerving effort was comfortably gathered by Given.

Brown and Hunt then squared up after a rash challenge from the Scotland midfielder but the clash proved to be nothing more than a minor altercation.

Ireland should have doubled the lead shortly after the restart when Hunt's free-kick found Simon Cox in plenty of space and he should have found the target but fired across the face of goal and wide instead.

The host was threatening again when Keane was tripped by Adam and Lawrence played a short free-kick to Keith Andrews but he blasted over.

Adam was then booked before being replaced by Barry Bannan after 62 minutes, while the Republic swapped Lawrence for Seamus Coleman as both sides made their first change of the night.

Forrest could have marked his debut with a goal - and sparked a Scotland comeback - when he met Robson's cross from the right, only to connect awkwardly and fire wide of the upright from close range.

Miller clearly felt he should have been given a penalty after being held back in the box by Hunt but succeeded only in earning himself a yellow card after racing furiously across the pitch to confront Welsh referee Mark Whitby.

Scotland continued to push for a leveller and Steven Naismith fired wide before Miller's shot under pressure from McShane was clawed to safety by Given.

Keane's hopes of grabbing his 50th international goal in this match were dashed when he was replaced by Keith Treacy with seven minutes to go.

Miller then squandered a great opportunity when he shrugged off Stephen Kelly only to shoot wide when it looked so much easier to hit the target.

Already the nation's all-time record goalscorer, Keane claimed his 47th and 48th goals in his 106th appearance for the national team.

At the other end of the scale, Wolverhampton Wanderers utility man Stephen Ward and West Bromwich Albion striker Simon Cox marked their debuts with their first international goals, while Craig Cathcart netted an own goal and Adam Thompson saw red.

It proved to be a disappointing night overall for Northern Ireland, which was cheered on by a sparse band of supporters after fans staged a boycott in protest at travelling restrictions placed upon them.

Ward was not in the team that coach Giovanni Trapattoni named to the media, meaning he was a surprise inclusion in the starting XI at the Aviva Stadium.

As Ward and Cox both made their maiden bows for the Republic, teenager Josh Carson was handed his first cap for Northern Ireland and Gareth McAuley was named as captain.

The visitor had the first real chance on goal but Jonny Gorman was well off-target with a shot that he sliced past the post.

At the other end, Seamus Coleman's cross picked out Paul McShane in front of goal but he sent his header flashing past the upright.

The Republic was threatening again when Keith Treacy unleashed an effort from distance but the shot lacked power and it was comfortably smothered by Alan Blayney.

The host continued to press and was only denied the opener by the woodwork when Cox cut the ball back for Keith Andrews and his swerving effort smacked off the post.

The home side's hard work paid off when it took the lead with 24 minutes gone. Treacy played a one-two with Cox from a short corner before whipping into the goal-mouth. Goalkeeper Blayney threw himself at the ball but spilled in front of Ward who rifled home the opener from close range.

The Republic doubled the lead after 37 minutes when Keane pounced on a dreadful backpass by Lee Hodson before lofting over the goalkeeper and seeing the shot nestle in the bottom corner.

There was further misery for Northern Ireland when Coleman's ball across the face of goal was forced into the back of his own net by Cathcart a minute before the interval.

The Republic was always favourite to come out on top and added to its tally nine minutes after the restart.

Thompson was deemed to have fouled Keane in the box and was given a straight red card by Scottish referee Craig Thomson, before the Tottenham Hotspur striker dusted himself off and slotted low past Blayney from the penalty spot.

Keane could have claimed a hat-trick with a ferocious volley but, this time, the goalkeeper was up to the task and produced a decent save. Keane was then replaced by Andy Keogh to rapturous applause from the crowd.

A commotion then followed in the section housing the Northern Ireland fans, however order was quickly restored by the stewards.

It had been an uneventful night for Shay Given in the Republic goal and he was replaced by David Forde for the final 20 minutes.

But Blayney was left picking the ball out of the back of the net again when Cox raced into the box and sent an angled drive past the goalkeeper to complete the rout, before Stephen Hunt's free-kick crashed off the post late on.

The victory put the Republic at the top of the Nations Cup table ahead of Scotland's game against Wales.

Confirmation of the June 7 fixture came from the Football Association of Ireland this week.

Republic coach Giovanni Trapattoni will be taking on his native country, having coached the Azzurri from 2000 to 2004.

The match will take place at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne, home to Standard Liege, three days after the Republic take on FYR Macedonia in a Euro 2012 qualifier.

The midfielder was not among the 33 names on a provisional list announced by coach Giovanni Trapattoni for the side's three northern summer fixtures.

The Republic takes on Northern Ireland and Scotland on 24 and 29 May in the Carling Nations Cup before travelling to FYR Macedonia for a Euro 2012 qualifier on 4 June.

Hoolahan could have justifiably hoped for a chance to add to his solitary cap, won in 2008, but lost out to more established midfield names. Striker Caleb Folan has been named despite a lacklustre start to life in Major League Soccer with Colorado Rapids.

Versatile Wolverhampton Wanderers man Stephen Ward has won the chance to earn his first appearance and is the only uncapped player in the squad.

Trapattoni said: "Following our 3-0 win over Wales in February, I am really looking forward to the remaining Carling Nations Cup fixtures against Northern Ireland and Scotland because this is a tournament which we want to win.

"More importantly, the remaining fixtures in the Carling Nations Cup will give us a good opportunity to spend some extra time together as a squad in preparation for the Euro 2012 qualifier versus Macedonia on June 4."

Five of the 33 named in the provisional squad are subject to fitness - Sean St Ledger, Damien Duff, Darren O'Dea, Keith Andrews and Kevin Doyle.

Provisional Republic of Ireland squad: Given (Man City), Westwood (Coventry), Forde (Millwall); Dunne (Aston Villa), O'Shea (Man Utd), Foley (Wolves), Delaney (Ipswich), Clark (Aston Villa), Coleman (Everton), Kilbane (Huddersfield), Kelly (Fulham), McShane (Hull); McCarthy (Wigan), Whelan (Stoke), Wilson (Stoke), Gibson (Man Utd), McGeady (Spartak Moscow), Fahey (Birmingham), Lawrence (Portsmouth), Treacy (Preston), Hunt (Wolves), Ward (Wolves); Keogh (Wolves), Stokes (Celtic) Folan (Colorado Rapids), Walters (Stoke), Keane (West Ham), Long (Reading).

Subject to fitness: St Ledger (Preston), Duff (Fulham), O'Dea (Ipswich), Andrews (Blackburn), Doyle (Wolves).

Doyle has virtually ruled himself out of the remainder of Wolves' battle for Barclays Premier League survival with a knee ligament injury suffered on international duty last month.

But he is hoping to return for his country in late May, even though he admits his club boss Mick McCarthy may not be too happy.

Doyle told Sky Sports: "If I don't play for Wolves again this season, I don't suppose the manager will be too happy to see me get fit and disappear for my country.

"But I'm going to try to make it."

Ireland faces Northern Ireland and Scotland in the Carling Nations Cup on May 24 and 29 respectively and then tackles Macedonia in a Euro 2012 qualifier on June 4.

The 24-year-old claimed his sixth senior international goal playing as a lone frontman in Ireland's 3-2 friendly defeat by the South American side at the Aviva Stadium.

Asked if his form could alert Premier League clubs to the Reading frontman's blossoming talent, Trapattoni said: "I am not the manager of another team, so it is impossible for me to answer.

"But other managers of other teams can see him. A year ago, he was still young, but now he has matured.

"The Premier League is very strong, but now he is a very important player and not only for us.

"If I was the manager of a club, I would look at him, sure.

"He played well also in the last game. He has increased his personality and his confidence.

"Now he has got to think faster when shooting and passing because he had three or four opportunities tonight.

"But he is maturing constantly, he is growing constantly."

The Republic looked to be heading for a heavy defeat after Uruguay demonstrated its potency during the opening 45 minutes.

Its opening goal, which arrived after just 12 minutes, owed much to luck when Keith Fahey's clearing header was blocked by Edinson Cavani and fell invitingly for skipper Diego Lugano, who needed no second invitation.

Long dragged Ireland back on to level terms within three minutes with a firm header, but it was then that the visitor opened up.

Maximiliano Pereira evaded a series of green shirts as he made his way across the penalty area before sliding a 22nd-minute pass into Cavani's path, and his finish across keeper Keiren Westwood was assured.

Abel Hernandez repeated the dose five minutes before the break after Alvaro Pereira had picked off Fahey's pass and raced deep into enemy territory before serving the ball up on a plate for the striker.

Ireland gave itself hope three minutes after the break when Fahey converted a penalty, but it was unable to grab a share of the spoils despite a spirited second-half display.

Trapattoni was happy enough with the performance of a side which featured eight changes from the one which started against FYR Macedonia last weekend and a new 4-2-3-1 formation.

He said: "It was a good performance taking into consideration that we put together nearly a new team in two days and we played against a super team who have played together for a long time and went to the World Cup.

"We had some very good individual performances from players like Shane Long, Keith Fahey and Darren O'Dea.

"We made two naive mistakes and we conceded two goals, but I think we deserved to draw in the second half."

Uruguay striker Diego Forlan admitted his side had been pushed all the way in the wake of its surprise 2-0 defeat in Estonia.

He said: "It was a hard game against a very young team, but the chances we got, we scored, and it was good for us.

"It was not a good pitch, but it was quick, so the ball was running really well.

"We always want to win. After the World Cup, everyone is looking for us and watching every game and you are criticised when you don't win.

"But that's football sometimes and you have to continue doing what you have done."

The 2022 World Cup host, 77 places below its opponent in the FIFA rankings, took the lead in the fourth minute through Mohamed Kasoula, but Tottenham Hotspur striker Roman Pavlyuchenko levelled in the 34th minute.

The draw continued Russia's run of poor results after its 2012 qualifying draw in Armenia last week and friendly defeats to Iran and Belgium.

Andre Hainault's 58th-minute effort earned Canada a surprise 1-0 win over Belarus in Antalya in Turkey.

China beat Honduras 3-0 and Peru shared a goalless draw with Ecuador.

World Cup semi-finalist Uruguay needed a couple of glorious finishes to edge out the Republic of Ireland 3-2 in Dublin.

Defender Diego Lugano opened the scoring from close range and, after Shane Long had cancelled out his strike with a 15th-minute header, his strikers took over.

Edinson Cavani and Abel Hernandez put the visitor in the driving seat with sumptuous strikes after 22 and 40 minutes respectively.

Keith Fahey's 48th-minute penalty gave the Irish hope, but the South American side held on.

Micael scored twice, in the 10th and 71st minutes, as Portugal beat Finland 2-0 in Aveiro.

Slovakia, which tops qualifying Group B, went down to a 2-1 home defeat to Denmark.

A Kornel Salata own goal put Denmark in front after three minutes, but Filip Holosko equalised just after the half-hour mark.

Brondby winger Michael Krohn-Dehli fired in the winner in the 72nd minute.

First-half goals from Matias Fernandez and Jean Beausejour earned Chile a 2-0 win over Colombia in a friendly played in The Hague.

Martin Petrov's first-half goal earned Bulgaria a 1-0 win over Cyprus, while Greece and Poland drew 0-0.

Speculation has been rife for several weeks that the Republic will head for the US in the wake of their Euro 2012 qualifier against Macedonia in Skopje on June 4.

No details have yet been confirmed, but it is understood that Trapattoni's side are likely to face Italy at Meadowlands on June 11, the new venue on the site of the former New York Giants Stadium where Ireland famously defeated the Azzurri at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

A second game is also expected to take place earlier in the same week, possibly against European or South American opposition, with the manager keen to spend time working with some of the fringe players in his squad.

The Republic met Italy twice during the last World Cup qualifying campaign, drawing 1-1 in Bari and 2-2 in Dublin as the then reigning champion pipped them to top spot in Group 8.

The 21-year-old Aston Villa defender will line up at left-back for his country against Uruguay on Wednesday (AEDT) as he wins his second senior cap.

However, with Richard Dunne suspended for the trip to Skopje in June, there is a place up for grabs and the versatile Clark could be one of the contenders to fill the vacancy.

Darren O'Dea, who will partner Stephen Kelly in the middle against the South Americans, will also hope to stake his claim after impressing in Sunday's 2-1 victory over the Macedonians with a knee injury.

The candidates may have further opportunities in May's Carling Nations Cup clashes with Northern Ireland and Scotland, but in the meantime, Clark will simply concentrate on the task of trying to impress Giovanni Trapattoni to give himself the best possible chance.

He said: "I would like to put in a good performance and it is a good chance for me from now until the end of the season to show what I can do.

"There are a lot of good players in the squad and everyone will be fighting for places in the team because everyone wants to play.

"But we have got tomorrow night's game to concentrate on, then there are the Nations Cup games which will give players a chance to impress."

Trapattoni might have asked Clark to play alongside O'Dea in the middle, but decided to select him in the left-back spot, where he has performed creditably for his club in recent times.

The Italian said: "Ciaran Clark is still quite young and at times, it is dangerous in that position.

"He is young and young players are always anxious to get on the ball, and that's the danger.

"If you make a mistake in the box, it's a goal. With a mistake near the touchline, it's possible to recover."

Clark is relishing the opportunity to test himself against a Uruguay side which made it to the FIFA World Cup semi-finals in South Africa last summer before going out to Netherlands.

He said: "They made the semi-finals of the World Cup, so it will be a good test for us.

"We will be looking to put in a great performance and hopefully come away with a win.

"Luis Suarez is not involved, but they have got some many good players - [Diego] Forlan will be there as well - so I am sure whoever they put out, it will be a tough test for everyone."

Clark's focus will then switch back to the task of helping Villa ease themselves clear of trouble at the bottom end of the Barclays Premier League table, a process he is sure they can complete.

He said: "We have got a good enough squad there at Villa. We have got some brilliant individual players, but we also work well as a team there and I am sure in the last few games, we will be able to show how good we are."

Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni named a largely inexperienced team to face the World Cup semi-finalist at the Aviva Stadium after sending the likes of Robbie Keane, Richard Dunne, Damien Duff and Kevin Kilbane home in the wake of last weekend's Euro 2012 qualifier victory over Macedonia.

That means starts for 20-year-old James McCarthy and Ciaran Clark, 21, in a side which boasts a total of just 103 senior caps, six fewer than Kilbane alone.

However, Atletico Madrid star Forlan insists the South Americans will treat the Irish team just as they would any other.

He said: "They played a qualifying game on Saturday and some of the players have been playing a lot of games and have been rested.

"But we came here to play a nice game against Ireland. It doesn't matter who they are playing, we are going to do our best to win the game.

"I know the team, I have been watching some games and we are always watching players. We know it will be a really tough team with good players.

"It doesn't matter whether they are young or old, every player all over the world when they get the chance to play for their national team is going to try to do their best. In this case we expect that."

Uruguay arrived in Dublin to be greeted by bright sunshine, a far cry from the conditions it found in Tallin on Friday (Saturday AEDT) as it slipped to a surprise 2-0 defeat by Estonia.

The game was played in freezing temperatures and with snow falling, and while there was a chill in the air at the Aviva Stadium the following night, Forlan admitted the conditions when he and his team-mates trained there last were far more to his liking.

He said: "This is like summer for us after being in Estonia, where it was really freezing.

"We played quite well in the first half, but in the second half, the pitch was very hard and it was difficult for us."

Uruguay will be without injured Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, but the man who played alongside him at last northern summer's World Cup finals in South Africa has not been at all surprised by how quickly he has found his feet in the English game since his January move to Anfield.

Forlan said: "I'm really happy for him. He's a good friend and he's at a good club.

"The way he is doing it now is really nice and I hope he will continue doing that.

"I think he's a great player - he showed that at the World Cup and with Ajax. He has this opportunity and now he is doing really well."

Forlan, of course, had his own spell in the Premier League with Manchester United earlier in his career, and has been linked with a return to England in recent months.

However, he remained diplomatic when asked about the speculation.

He said: "It would have to be really good offer. At the moment there is none, so I didn't consider anything.

"But at the moment, I have two years more of a contract at Atletico Madrid and it's a good team and I am happy there. You never know."

The Republic went level on points with Russia and Slovakia at the top of Group B as a result of its 2-1 win over FYR Macedonia at the Aviva Stadium to rekindle its hopes of automatic qualification.

Defeat by Russia in Dublin in October had dented its ambitions, but the leader could only manage a 0-0 draw in Armenia, and that will send Ireland to Skopje in June knowing a second victory over FYR Macedonia could leave it in a good position to make a run for the line.

However, it will head for the former Yugoslav republic without suspended defender Richard Dunne after he collected his second booking of the campaign, and keeping its fingers crossed that Shay Given, John O'Shea and Kevin Doyle, who damaged his medial ligament against FYR Macedonia, will be available.

Trapattoni said: "We do not have many problems because we have a great squad - for example, last night four new players played and played very well.

"Our problem is injuries. I am not afraid about playing any game, I am afraid only about injuries even though we have good options.

"It is always better to be able to put on the pitch the best players you have, and if we can do that, I am very, very confident we can finish first."

Ireland, of course, missed out on last year's World Cup finals after a heartbreaking play-off defeat by France, and it is desperate to avoid the lottery route to the Ukraine and Poland this time around.

If it is to do so, it will need to return from FYR Macedonia with a positive result, and despite seeing Mirsad Jonuz's men stage a spirited fightback after conceding two early goals in Dublin, Trapattoni is confident his team has what it takes to repeat the feat on the road under the heat of the June sun.

He said: "If our team is in the same condition, I think we have a very good opportunity to win that game as well.

"It is not about the heat, it is about 10 months of playing in the league and being drained.

"With someone like Damien Duff, I say may God look after him because if he keeps playing like he does, he will be drained by the end of the season.

"But if at that moment we can have the team in the same condition they are in now, that would be great.

"We have learnt, we are more experienced, we have more self-confidence and we are fulfilling our potential.

"Our team must believe in itself now because we are playing well and we are playing without fear."

The Republic certainly needed all its resilience to weather FYR Macedonia's fightback in a tense encounter which at one point saw its 72-year-old manager make his feelings abundantly clear to one of the assistant referees as he tried to replace the injured Doyle with substitute Shane Long.

He said: "I'm a coach, I usually have respect for the referee. I know referees can make mistakes like players, but at the time, I was angry.

"I am angry sometimes, but I defend referees because it is not easy to referee."

Trapattoni avoided any formal sanction on the night and despite his passionate approach to the game, insists he has only once been sent to the stands during his managerial career.

Indeed, he claims he was never dismissed as a player either, and that he rarely got himself into trouble with officials.

He said: "I was not a great player, but I was an instinctive player.

"Maybe I got three yellow cards, one against [Johan] Cruyff and one against Pele.

"I maybe tugged a few shirts, but I was not a tough player."

Trapattoni will now turn his attention to Tuesday evening's (Wednesday morning AEDT) friendly clash with Uruguay at the Aviva Stadium and having sent Dunne, skipper Robbie Keane, Kevin Kilbane, Duff and the injured Doyle home, will take a look at some more of his back-up players.

Keeper Keiren Westwood and defenders Kevin Foley and Darren O'Dea made competitive debuts against FYR Macedonia, while James McCarthy was handed a first senior appearance for his country as a substitute.

The manager has confirmed that both Westwood and McCarthy will start against the South American side.

The Wolverhampton Wanderers forward limped off early on as the Republic moved level with Russia and Slovakia at the top of Group B and Trapattoni fears the 27-year-old may miss the rest of the campaign.

The Italian said: "It's his medial ligament. I think he may be out for one or two months, so it's a very serious injury.

"But I hope by May or June, he can come back and we can have him for the match in Macedonia."

If Trapattoni's early assessment proves correct it could mean Doyle missing the rest of Wolves' season as it fights to avoid relegation to the Championship.

He will obviously miss the midweek international friendly against Uruguay and his participation in the Republic's two Carling Nations Cup games in May will now be in doubt. Trapattoni, though, is hopeful of having Doyle back for the 4 June return match in Macedonia.

The Italian boss, meanwhile, hailed Aiden McGeady's best ever performance for his country after an otherwise successful night for his team.

The Spartak Moscow winger got the Republic off to the perfect start with just 85 seconds gone when he blasted home his first senior international goal on his 38th appearance with the help of some hapless goalkeeping by Edin Nuredinoski.

Skipper Robbie Keane then pounced on a second error by Nuredinoski to make it 2-0 with just 21 minutes gone.

The Italian had sent out McGeady under orders to shoot on sight, and saw him respond in spectacular fashion.

Trapattoni said: "He was the best player on the pitch. He has improved his performance and his personality. He is very self-confident.

"His first shot at goal, maybe a year ago he would not have done it. I always believed he could do it.

"I said the same to Darron Gibson too. We have players with extraordinary potential, but they are not aware of their potential."

However, despite racing into an early lead, the Republic far from had things all its own way and found itself engaged in a tooth and nail battle to hang on to the points after the impressive Ivan Trickovski had reduced the deficit on the stroke of half-time.

The same man might have snatched a point 15 minutes from time had keeper Keiren Westwood, along with Kevin Foley and Darren O'Dea making his first competitive appearance for his country, not pulled off a fine one-on-one save.

The victory, coupled with Russia's draw in Armenia and Slovakia's win in Andorra, leaves the three sides locked together on 10 points at the top of Group B, and Trapattoni could not help looking back to Keane's missed penalty against the Slovakians in October which saw two points slip away.

He said: "At the minute, our group is very, very in the balance. It's a pity we missed the penalty against Slovakia. We could have been at the top.

"But I have three reasons to be happy. One reason is the three points; the second is the performance; and the third, which is equally important, is that players like O'Dea and Gibson and Foley, players I have been questioned for selecting, have played very well."

Macedonia coach Mirsad Jonuz admitted his side had been made to pay for its mistakes.

He said: "At very crucial moments in the game, we needed to play well to get a result, but we made mistakes and so we lost the game.

"Ireland deserved the victory, but they scored two goals from our mistakes. In the second half, we created enough chances to get something from the game.

"In the games against Slovakia and Russia, we made mistakes which affected the result. Today, there were two mistakes by our goalkeeper which cost us the result."

However, Jonuz promised Ireland there would be a backlash when it travels to Skopje in June.

He said: "Our players our motivated and expect to win the game in Skopje against Ireland and stay in the race for qualification."

Bayern Munich pair Miroslav Klose and Thomas Muller both grabbed a brace in an easy win for Joachim Low's side in Kaiserslautern.

The win gives Germany an eight-point cushion at the top of the group ahead of its clash with Austria in June, while Kazakhstan is still waiting for its first goal, let alone its first point in qualifying.

In Group B, leader Russia was again left frustrated in front of goal as it was held to a goalless draw in Armenia.

Russia has now failed to find the net in its last three matches after friendly defeats to Belgium and Iran, but, in light of Armenia's strong start to the campaign, it will be happy to return home with a point.

Slovakia laboured to a narrow 1-0 win over basement-dweller Andorra to join Russia at the top of Group B.

Filip Sebo got the only goal in the 21st minute to send Slovakia on to 10 points from five games.

But a series of chances to add a second came to nought, setting up a nervous finish for the visitor.

The Republic of Ireland is also part of the three-way tie at the top of the group thanks to a 2-1 win over FYR Macedonia.

Aiden McGeady's early goal gave it a dream start, before Robbie Keane pounced on a goalkeeping error to double the lead.

Ivan Trickovski pulled one back on the stroke of half-time and it took a brilliant second-half save from Keiren Westwood to earn Ireland the win.

Bosnia-Herzegovina went into its Group D clash with Romania knowing it needed a win after France's victory the previous day and it did not let itself down, although it had to come from behind to win 2-1.

France's win took it on to 12 points and Bosnia-Herzegovina, starting the day on four points from three games, was behind to Ciprian Marica's first-half goal.

But Vedad Ibisevic headed an equaliser just after the hour and Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko grabbed a vital winner with seven minutes left.

In the final game in Group D, Belarus' hopes of qualification for Euro 2012 were dealt a blow as it suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Albania in Tirana.

Hamdi Salihi grabbed the only goal of the game for Albania just after the hour mark as it moved level on points with its opponent, although it remains below it on goal difference.

In Group F, morning leaders Croatia suffered its first qualifying defeat as Levan Kobiashvili's late goal gave Georgia a 1-0 win.

The strike extended Georgia's great start to life under coach Temuri Ketsbaia, with it now 10 games unbeaten under his charge.

The win put it on to nine points, just one behind Croatia.

A header from Vassilis Torosidis with the last touch of the game helped 10-man Greece beat Malta 1-0 and move to the top of Group F.

With Croatia having lost earlier in the day, Greece knew a win would put it at the summit but, for 93 minutes it, and striker Kostas Katsouranis in particular, was denied by the brilliance of goalkeeper Justin Haber.

The 2004 winner looked stumped, especially when Socratis Papastathopoulos was sent off with six minutes left but, in the 94th minute, Torosidis denied Malta its first point of qualifying.

Elsewhere in the group, Beram Kayal hit a late winner as Israel survived a rocky second-half period to beat Latvia 2-1.

Elyaniv Barda gave it the lead in a first half it dominated, and Latvia was fortunate not to be out of sight by the time the half-time whistle went.

But it hung in and Kaspars Gorkss looked to have given it a point with an equaliser just after the hour until Kayal struck with nine minutes left.

England won the battle of Britain in Group G, coming away from Cardiff's Millennium Stadium with a 2-0 win over Wales.

The game was over inside the opening 15 minutes, with Frank Lampard scoring from the spot after James Collins brought down Ashley Young, and Darren Bent netted from close range shortly after.

Jack Wilshere excelled on his competitive debut for England, which returned to the top of the group with the win.

It and joint leader Montenegro received a huge boost later in the day as Bulgaria and Switzerland got the result they both did not want in Sofia - a 0-0 draw.

A draw leaves the pair six points adrift at the halfway stage in Group G with Wales anchored at the foot of the table.

Cyprus blew its chance at a first win in Euro 2012 qualifying Group H as it missed a penalty and struck the post against fellow struggler Iceland.

Chryssis Michael saw his penalty saved in the 21st minute and Konstantinos Makridis struck the post 12 minutes from time as it failed to make the breakthrough against Iceland, which earned its first point of the campaign with the draw.

Erik Huseklepp's goal nine minutes from time maintained Norway's unbeaten record in qualifying as Denmark missed the chance to pull level with its Scandinavian rival at the summit of Group H in a 1-1 draw.

A cagey encounter produced little in the way of goalmouth action before Dennis Rommedahl fired the Danes ahead just before the half-hour, and the veteran winger was unlucky not to wrap up the points after the break when he fired against the crossbar.

Norway's toothless performance made a mockery of its 100 percent record coming into the match but the host got out of jail late on when Huseklepp got in behind the Denmark defence to snatch a barely-deserved equaliser.

The 30-year-old will lead his country into Euro 2012 battle with FYR Macedonia wearing the armband for the 40th time, equalling Andy Townsend's record in the process.

He will do so admitting he does not know how long he will last at the Aviva Stadium having missed most of the last six weeks with a calf injury which has restricted him to around 20 minutes of senior football for West Ham United and a little more than an hour for the reserves since the beginning of last month.

Keane caused something of a stir when, as he was unveiled by the Hammers following a January loan move from Tottenham Hotspur, he admitted that he would happily move aside if a younger, fitter striker came through the ranks to take over his mantle in green shirt of Ireland.

However, he was quick to clarify his comments as he prepared to win his 105th senior international cap.

Keane said: "I will make it clear: I have no intention to retire at all. I want to play as long as I can.

"I think you have seen over years, I have always been committed and always wanted to play for my country, and that will never change.

"I don't like to predict what is going to happen in three or four years' time with injuries and what have you.

"I will just take each campaign as it comes, look forward to this campaign and hope we can qualify.

"I was just asked the question that if someone came in and the manager felt it was time for me to be pushed aside, I would be fairly happy.

"If someone young and fit came in and did a better job than me, I would be happy enough."

Keane's presence in the squad represents a major boost for coach Giovanni Trapattoni, who has seen his resources stretched to the limit by injuries.

In attack, Leon Best has returned to Newcastle United with an injury problem and Jon Walters will not be considered following the birth of his third child.

Keane arrived with a question mark hanging over his participation, but he is confident he is fit enough to play after returning to action a fortnight earlier than expected with the help of ice chamber treatments which proved more eventful than he might have thought.

Keane said: "It's an ice chamber that myself and one of the lads went to, and Frank Bruno was there as well.

"He was in there singing Danny Boy, which was a bit bizarre.

"You do two sessions a day of nine minutes. You go in for four minutes, come back out, go on the bike for a few minutes and go back in again.

"You don't want to be in any longer than that, trust me. But it was good, it's probably healed me a lot better."

But if Keane is fighting fit once again after a frustrating spell on the sidelines, the news of his defensive colleagues is not as good.

Richard Dunne will start after shaking off the shoulder injury which has kept him out of action for the last few weeks, but his usual central defensive partner, Sean St Ledger, has been ruled out with a knee problem sustained in a training ground collision with Ciaran Clark on Tuesday.

With Shay Given and John O'Shea already missing, Trapattoni's defence will have an unfamiliar and inexperienced look about it with keeper Keiren Westwood, Darren O'Dea and Kevin Foley having just 12 caps between them, and none of them in competitive games.

However, Keane, who was nursed through his initial forays on to the big stage by the senior players in the team, is confident they are up to the task.

He said: "People like Niall Quinn and Tony Cascarino were magnificent to me when I came through.

"As a young lad, you are obviously very nervous and excited. You are just bursting to go with a lot of energy and just running all over place.

"When you have someone like Niall Quinn there to guide you through the game, it certainly helps you.

"People like Westwood, Foley and O'Dea, these are people who have played in the game for a while, so it's not like they are young kids who have just played in the Championship or the Premier League for a few months.

"They have been playing for a long, long time, so they have experience in that respect, but at international level, they don't."

The 30-year-old striker has had barely 20 minutes of competitive football since damaging a calf muscle last month, but is set to be named in the starting line-up for Saturday evening's Euro 2012 qualifier in Dublin.

Manager Giovanni Trapattoni is hoping to get at least an hour out of Ireland's leading goalscorer of all time, but his assistant Tardelli has seen enough in the past two days of training to believe he could go the distance if required.

He said: "Robbie Keane has been out of action for many days after the injury, but I have found him fit.

"There has been a smile on his face and he is in good form.

"I think it is possible for Robbie to play. He is fit to play a full match."

The current season has proved hugely frustrating for Keane, who is currently playing his football at West Ham on loan from Tottenham, where he has struggled to hold down a place under Harry Redknapp.

Tardelli said: "That is a good motivation, but there is still a long way to go in the Premier League.

"I think this is a good chance for him to play well."

Keane and Kevin Doyle have been Trapattoni's first-choice strike-force from day one, and the prospect of having to do without either would come as a blow.

However, the Italian has worked hard to increase the depth of his squad over the past three years and although Newcastle's Leon Best was sent back to Tyneside yesterday because of the ankle injury with which he had arrived two days earlier, he has options for if and when Keane needs to come off.

Tardelli said: "We have Jon Walters and Shane Long, who has already played in a very important match in Slovakia, so we have options for the future.

"But Robbie Keane is very important for his experience."

If much of the talk in Malahide this week has been about the fitness of Ireland's most prolific frontman, there has also been more than a passing mention of Macedonia's dangerman.

Goran Pandev plays his football in Italy with Serie A giant Inter Milan and as such, is no stranger to Trapattoni and his staff.

In particular, they have studied his prowess from set-pieces and will drum that message into their players during the days leading up to the game.

Tardelli said: "He is very dangerous, he is playing very well and is a very clever player.

"He is also very dangerous on set-pieces. He was injured for two months, but now he is fit - he played in the Champions League against Bayern Munich and he played very well."

Keane, currently on loan at West Ham United, has managed only a few minutes of competitive football for his club since shaking off a calf injury, while Dunne has been missing from the Aston Villa side for the last three weeks with a shoulder problem.

However, both men trained in Malahide on Wednesday under the watchful gaze of manager Giovanni Trapattoni and his assistant Tardelli, and the Italian duo are increasingly confident that both will be ready to go into battle for their country at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening.

Trapattoni said Keane, Ireland's all-time leading goalscorer with 45, would be able to play for an hour, but Tardelli was even more optimistic when asked about the 30-year-old's prospects.

He said: "For me, the whole match. Robbie looked very well in training and also I saw the match against Stoke, when he played 20 minutes.

"But now he has improved and he is ready for us."

Just how Keane's general fitness equates to the match fitness he will need against the Macedonians remains to be seen, with that brief FA Cup quarter-final cameo against Stoke City his only action since February 6.

However, his talismanic status means Trapattoni is happy to entrust him with the task of leading his team from the front for as long as he can alongside Kevin Doyle, with the likes of Shane Long and Jonathan Walters waiting in the wings to take over.

Another Republic forward, Newcastle United's Leon Best, was withdrawn from the squad this afternoon due to an ankle injury.

Dunne's presence at the back could prove equally important, particularly in the absence of goalkeeper Shay Given and full-back John O'Shea through injury.

Trapattoni is already mulling over his defensive options, with Kevin Foley in the running to take over from O'Shea, although with Ciaran Clark also competing with old head Kevin Kilbane for the left-back berth, he needs all the experience he can get.

The fact that Dunne was able to train after flying into Dublin last night following further physio at Villa came as a major boost, particularly with first-choice central defensive partner Sean St Ledger sitting out as a precaution after picking up a knock to his knee yesterday.

Asked whether Dunne, 31, is 100 per cent fit, Tardelli said: "Richard Dunne arrived last night and today has trained very well. I think his problem is finished. He is fit."

Seamus Coleman was able to train after sitting out yesterday with an ankle problem, while Darron Gibson joined in following his late arrival because of a toe injury, although Damien Duff sat out once again with an inflamed Achilles tendon.

The Republic is second in Group B with seven points from four matches and is well aware that back-to-back qualifiers against Macedonia - the side travels to Skopje in June - could be hugely significant.

Tardelli said: "We have to try to win the match. It is very important to win this match because we have the same points in the table [as Armenia and Slovakia].

"We try to win the match always, but sometimes it is possible and sometimes not.

"I have seen many DVDs and Macedonia play with 10 players near the penalty box. They play very well. They have very important players and I think it will be a very tough match."

Inter Milan striker Goran Pandev could be the major threat and Ireland's Italian contingent needs no reminding of his prowess.

Tardelli said: "Pandev is very clever. He plays very well and he is very important for his team-mates."

Stoke midfielder Jermaine Pennant and Jamie O'Hara, currently on loan at Wolves, have both suggested they could declare for Ireland, but Lawrence admits their comments have not gone down particularly well with the Irish camp.

Lawrence said: "The only thing I know upsets us is when people are trying to juggle between England and Ireland.

"That's the only issue, really, and it's not just me saying that. It doesn't look good, does it?

"We don't dislike these people, it is just some of the comments they come out with when they are saying they are juggling between Ireland and England - you just don't want it, do you?"

Central defender Richard Dunne has found himself in the headlines in recent weeks after an eventful team-building exercise left he and Aston Villa team-mate James Collins feeling the need to issue an apology following a much-publicised outburst.

Striker Leon Best was one of three Newcastle United players who took similar action after being pictured at a Tyneside club the night before a game in which they were not involved, acknowledging that while he was not drinking, he should not have been there.

Both men are part of the Republic squad which is due to face FYR Macedonia in a Euro 2012 qualifier this weekend and Uruguay in a friendly three days later.

Trapattoni, however, remains relaxed about his players having a drink, as long as it is strictly in moderation.

When asked about Dunne, he said: "I am not worried about this. Players in England are under a lot of pressure, not just Richard Dunne.

"It's normal, but it's important also that it is one day drinking and six days not drinking. Everything in moderation.

"I don't mind if they go for a couple of drinks because they have got to let off some steam.

"If they have a couple of drinks in moderation, I don't mind.

"I have seen no problem [with Dunne]. I only look at what he does when he is with us."

However, Trapattoni insists that his players will only be allowed to drink while they are under his charge if they stick to his rules.

He said: "Rules are rules. After a game, I allow them to have one or two drinks - but when I say finish, it's finished. When I say it's time to go to bed, it's time to go to bed.

"It's normal. In Italy, we drink wine. We are not in prison and it's better that I allow them than forbid them and then they run off and do it behind my back.

"But at the same time, we have to trust them, we can't be with them all the time. We can't go to bed with them.

"It's being professional, we need them to be responsible."

Dunne arrived in Dublin on Tuesday afternoon, 24 hours later than the bulk of his team-mates after staying behind at Villa for further treatment on his shoulder injury.

Trapattoni is confident that both he and skipper Robbie Keane, who has played only a few minutes as a substitute for West Ham United after a four-game lay-off with a calf problem, will be fit for the qualifier at the Aviva Stadium.

But he will be without John O'Shea and vastly-experienced keeper Shay Given, both of whom are injured, and that could mean rare starts for Kevin Foley at fullback and Keiren Westwood in goal.

The 26-year-old Coventry City keeper has only five caps to his name and is yet to figure in a competitive match, but the Italian will have no qualms about throwing him in at the deep end.

Trapattoni said: "They are not babies, they are not kids, that's not a problem.

"Either he has the personality or he doesn't. I am sure, I trust him."

Damien Duff and Seamus Coleman sat out training with Achilles and ankle injuries respectfully, while Best went for a swim as he rested the ankle which kept him out of the Magpies' 4-0 defeat at Stoke City.

Manchester United midfielder Darron Gibson is flying in on Wednesday after treatment for a toe problem, while Stoke striker Jonathan Walters is excused until Thursday with his wife due to give birth at any moment.

Striker Keane returned from a four-game lay-off with a calf injury as a substitute in West Ham's 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final defeat at Stoke last weekend and will hope to have regained sufficient fitness by the time the Macedonians arrive in Dublin on March 26 to win his 103rd senior cap.

The 30-year-old is Trapattoni's captain and with 44 international goals to his name, his country's leading scorer, and his presence represents a major boost for the Italian.

But Dunne must be facing a race against the clock to declare himself fit after being sidelined since damaging a shoulder in Aston Villa's 3-0 FA Cup fifth round defeat by former club Manchester City on March 2.

At the time, he was ruled out for up to a month, but his selection suggests he has a fighting chance of making the qualifier, and the friendly against Uruguay which follows three days later.

Dunne was named in the squad a day after he issued an apology after reports surfaced that he and fellow defender James Collins had insulted Villa staff and team-mates during a bonding exercise at a plush spa.

That led to fresh speculation that his days at Villa Park could be numbered, although all Trapattoni will be interested in as his players assemble in Malahide next Monday (Tuesday AEDT) will be the three points at stake the following Saturday (Sunday AEDT).

He said: "Macedonia is a big match for us in our aim to qualify for Euro 2012. Playing at home in the Aviva Stadium is important and we will be keen to build on our recent home performance against Wales.

"Three days later, we will take on Uruguay, who have announced a full-strength squad to come to Dublin, including [Diego] Forlan and [Luis] Suarez.

"This will be a very good challenge for our players, particularly after Uruguay's strong performance in South Africa last (northern) summer."

But if Keane and Dunne could be available, keeper Shay Given will not as he continues his recovery from the shoulder injury which has ended his season.

Keiren Westwood's return from a hip problem for Coventry at the weekend means his is likely to win his sixth cap against Macedonia, and the back-up will be provided by Motherwell's Darren Randolph and Millwall's David Forde, neither of whom have yet played for their country at senior level.

Wigan midfielder James McCarthy is also included after meeting Trapattoni face to face to assure him he wants to play for the Republic rather than Scotland.

There is a place too in the 29-man party for vastly-experienced full-back Kevin Kilbane, who could win a 109th cap despite now playing his club football with League One Huddersfield.

Newcastle striker Leon Best also returns after having to withdraw from the squad for last month's Carling Nations Cup victory over Wales with a hamstring injury.

Ireland currently trail Group B leaders Russia, who won in Dublin in October, by two points after four games, and are level on points with Armenia and Slovakia.

The 28-year-old Stoke City winger, who has represented England at Under-21 level, has admitted he has given up hope of winning senior caps for the country of his birth and indicated he wants to turn instead to Ireland, for whom he believes he qualifies through his grandfather.

Press Association Sport understands there has been no contact between the player and the Football Association of Ireland, but that his claims would be evaluated if he got in touch.

Pennant's comments came in an interview with the Stoke Sentinel.

He said: "My grandad is Irish, so there's a chance I can play for them. I'm not getting any younger and I would like to play international football.

"And who's to say Ireland can't get to the next World Cup? If I could be a part of that, then it would be great.

"Of course, I would love to play for England, but it has never happened and I don't think it is going to.

"That's not because of my ability, but maybe misdemeanours in the past have put a halt to that coming about."

Nottingham-born Pennant, whose former clubs include Arsenal, Birmingham City and Liverpool, was jailed in 2005 for a drink-driving offence and at one point, played a game wearing an electronic tag following his release.

He has since rebuilt his career and is currently back in England after a spell with Real Zaragoza in Spain.

Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni has worked hard to increase the depth of his squad during his time in charge with Pennant's Stoke team-mates Glenn Whelan, Marc Wilson and Jon Walters among the beneficiaries.

However, the Italian is currently well served for wide midfielders with Damien Duff, Aiden McGeady, Liam Lawrence, Stephen Hunt, Keith Fahey and Andy Keogh having all played there for their country and Everton youngster Seamus Coleman emerging as a real talent.

Trapattoni's men resume their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign at home to FYR Macedonia later this month having endured mixed fortunes to date.

Victories over Armenia and Andorra were followed by a defeat at the hands of Russia and a draw in Slovakia, and that has left them in second place in Group B behind the Russians, but only on goal difference.

Ireland finished behind then reigning champion Italy in World Cup qualification and eventually missed out on a trip to last year's finals in South Africa after a controversial play-off defeat by France.

The Derry-born star excelled for his country in midweek, scoring a fine goal in the 3-0 win over Wales in Dublin.

It prompted Trapattoni to repeat his call for Gibson to look elsewhere as he struggles to make an impact at Old Trafford.

So far this season, Gibson has made just 12 appearances in all competitions, and started only three Premier League games.

The Italian has said similar things before, which prompted Gibson to claim he would prefer to make a limited contribution at United than play more games at a lesser club.

Not one normally to encourage other managers to speak about his players, Ferguson might be expected to respond to Trapattoni's latest musings.

However, ahead of this wekeend's Premier League encounter with Manchester City, when Gibson may struggle even to make the bench, Ferguson has stayed out of the argument.

"I don't know in what context he said it," said Ferguson.

"The media today can exaggerate anything now.

"It may have been a simple message for Darron. Who knows?

"I only picked up the headline of it yesterday and didn't really bother about the content.

"I know Trapattoni. He is a sensible, experienced man. I don't really give much credence to it. I don't think he would say it to cause mischief."

McCarthy, 20, sat out the Republic of Ireland's Carling Nations Cup victory against Wales in midweek as he only recently recovered from an ankle injury and Martinez did not want him to be risked.

However, his absence led to widespread speculation the Glasgow-born player - who qualifies for Ireland through his grandfather - could yet switch sides ahead of next month's Euro 2012 qualifiers.

Martinez insists the injury was genuine and that he does not have an issue with Republic manager Giovanni Trapattoni regarding McCarthy, who was withdrawn after he scored twice in the 4-3 victory against Blackburn.

He said: "James has had four games in 12 days. He could not finish the 90 minutes in the last game.

"We sent a report to the Republic medical staff and I spoke with Mr Trapattoni. Everything is quite clear. He could not be involved.

"He needed to have some treatment and regenerate and just be ready for Saturday. They understood that and know exactly what he has been through. James needs to be 100% to perform and club level and international level."

Martinez admits McCarthy faces "a very, very deep" decision about whether to switch to Scotland.

However, the Spaniard said the player should not be rushed into making one of the biggest decisions of his fledgling career.

McCarthy has made only one senior appearance for the Republic of Ireland and that was in a friendly against Brazil, leaving him free to play for Scotland .

Martinez said: "I do not know if it is a decision for him to make now or not. We need to give him plenty of time. We need to respect him.

"He wants to help Wigan. For me that is fantastic. It (international football) is something he needs to think about with his family, with his friends.

"It is something very, very deep. But I do not think he has focused on that at all, although it is great to have two nations fighting over you.

"James is probably the most mature 20-year-old in football. It is a compliment to him. I don't think it is going to affect him. It is going to give him a more arrogant feeling if you want."

Meanwhile, defender Gary Caldwell, who was part of the Scotland squad this week, could return wearing a face mask after he missed the Blackburn game with a fractured cheekbone.

Caldwell took part in training with Craig Levein's men in Dublin but was not involved in the victory against Northern Ireland.

Martinez said: "Gary has been involved with Scotland and they felt, as we did, it would have been a big risk for him to play Wednesday.

"He trained, used the mask and it worked well. I hope he is fit and available this weekend."

Trapattoni's side upped the tempo after a tame and goalless first half to power to a 3-0 victory in the opening Carling Nations Cup fixture at Dublin's Aviva Stadium.

Superb strikes from Darron Gibson and substitute Keith Fahey sandwiched another effort from the game's outstanding player, Damien Duff, as Gary Speed suffered defeat in his first game as Wales manager.

The goal from veteran Fulham winger Duff was the 31-year-old's first for his country for five years while debutants Ciaran Clark and Seamus Coleman, 21 and 22 respectively, also caught the eye.

Trapattoni said: "It was a positive result and we deserved it.

"It was important to achieve this with two or three young or new players.

"They played well and showed good personality and they did what I wanted of them.

"Duff also gives the team personality. Players like him are very important at international level and we can win with players like him."

Ireland now turns its attention to the visit of Macedonia next month as it looks to build on its solid start in Group B of Euro 2012 qualifying.

Trapattoni said: "Macedonia play different football but we have to believe we have the potential.

"Our team is a good team and we can play good football."

The overall impression of the game was an underwhelming one with many empty seats around Ireland's impressive new venue.

New manager Gary Speed will take charge of Wales for the first time at the Aviva Stadium with Wales having endured a miserable run of three defeats at the start of the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign that means its record of failing to reach a major finals since 1958 is likely to continue.

Its next qualifier is the Millennium Stadium meeting with Fabio Capello's men on March 26, and Leicester playmaker King believes a win over Giovanni Trapattoni's men will tee Wales up nicely.

He said: "Confidence is a massive thing in football and if we can get a win it will be a huge boost for us.

"We are up against a strong Republic of Ireland side, they have Premier League players with lots of caps all the way through their squad and it would be a massive boost if we can win.

"This is a massively important competition and there is a trophy to be had. Every time you go out to play you want to do well and that's why you have to work hard and everyone is going to be working hard to get the call up for England.

"I think some people see this as a warm up for the England game but it's a different tournament and it's important we get the three points and start the tournament well. The England game will be on people's minds but we are 100 per cent focused on Tuesday night."

But Speed's preparations for his first game since succeeding John Toshack as full-time boss in December have been hit by a number of injury withdrawals.

Tottenham's Gareth Bale and Cardiff striker Craig Bellamy were not named in the original party and the names of Aaron Ramsey, David Edwards and Ched Evans have been added to an absentee list which also included Boaz Myhill, Craig Morgan, Danny Gabbidon and Steve Morison.

Speed has also not been helped by the positioning of the fixture between two full league weekend programmes, with the weekend south Wales derby also depriving him of more time with his squad.

But King says that will be no excuse if Wales fail to perform.

"We do have a short preparation time and even more so for the people who played in the derby," he said. "But at this time of the season it is hard and there are always a lot of games and it's something Ireland will have to cope with as well."

Keane, who scored on his Hammers debut at Blackpool in midweek, had to come off with 15 minutes remaining at Upton Park after feeling his calf tighten.

West Ham boss Avram Grant said that he believes the 30-year-old is out of the midweek game in Dublin and could miss next weekend's crucial match at West Bromwich Albion.

Grant said: "Robbie Keane is injured. His calf has tightened.

"We will have to wait and see. I hope he will be fit for next weekend but he will not be fit for the international."

Celtic's Anthony Stokes was placed on standby for a call-up when Giovanni Trapattoni named his squad last week and could replace Keane if he is pulled out.

Bristol City striker Andy Keogh had to be drafted into the Republic squad after Newcastle United striker Leon Best was injured in his side's remarkable 4-4 draw with Arsenal.

The 24-year-old suffered a hamstring injury in his side's remarkable 4-4 Premier League draw with Arsenal, in which he scored his side's second goal.

Best's misfortune is another blow to the Magpies, who lost Shola Ameobi with a fractured cheekbone earlier this week just two days after selling Andy Carroll to Liverpool.

Bristol City striker Andy Keogh has been drafted in as a replacement by Giovanni Trapattoni, while Portsmouth midfielder Liam Lawrence has also withdrawn because of a calf problem.

The 28-year-old has been drafted in as a replacement for Preston North End's Keith Treacy, who has withdrawn because of a knee injury.

Giovanni Trapattoni's men open their campaign against Wales at Dublin's Aviva Stadium on Tuesday, 8 February.