REPUBLIC OF IRELAND MANAGER MARTIN O’NEILL is keeping his fingers crossed that veteran goalkeeper Shay Given will be fit for next month’s Euro 2016 qualifying play-off.
The 39-year-old Liffordman twisted a knee during Thursday’s 1-0 win over World champions Germany and didn’t travel to Poland for Sunday’s 2-1 loss in Warsaw.
That result means that Ireland missed out on an automatic qualification spot and will now head for the play-offs.
Their opponents will be confirmed this Sunday when the draw is conducted by Uefa, with O’Neill hopeful that Given will be available to add to his 133 international caps.
“Shay has gone back and obviously he’ll find out from Stoke,” O’Neill said.
“ He had a scan here with us and they took some fluid off the knee and I don’t think it’s as bad as we first feared.
“Whether he will be fit or not, that I don’t know.”
West Ham United’s Darren Randolph replaced Given on Thursday and impressed, retaining his spot for Sunday’s game.
O’Neill said: “Darren has done really fine. That was his first game when he came on against Germany and I thought he dealt with that situation really brilliantly.”
Despite Randolph showing that he is more than comfortable in the role, Given will regain his place if he is declared fit.
Ireland will be without Jon Walters and John O’Shea through suspension for the first leg of the play-off, but O’Neill is optimistic.
He said: “We’re not out of it, honestly. We’re not out of this by a long shot.”
