No room for McClean in friendly squad

Giovanni Trapattoni was true to his word in naming his Ireland squad for the upcoming friendly match with the Czech Republic today, as he declined to introduce any fresh faces to his established squad.

The Italian had previously stated that he would remain faithful the players who had secured Ireland’s European Championship qualification; though there had been talk of an opportunity for one or two players, including Sunderland winger James McClean. The former Derry man will not be involved however; despite having last night appeared to secure FIFA clearance to represent the Republic.

Speaking in Waterford at the announcement of the squad, Trapattoni said “This game is the beginning of our Euro 2012 preparations. As we face this fixture, it is important for our players to remember the attitude and performance that brought us qualification.

"The Czech Republic are a strong team, and their system is similar to Croatia and Spain. This game is vital in helping us choose our 23 player squad for May. We will continue to monitor our players afterwards, and keep a close eye on their fitness in the coming months.”

The Ireland Squad to play the Czech Republic:

Goalkeepers: Shay Given (Aston Villa), Keiren Westwood (Sunderland), David Forde (Millwall).

Defenders: John O’ Shea (Sunderland), Stephen Kelly (Fulham), Stephen Ward (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Richard Dunne (Aston Villa), Sean St. Ledger (Leicester City), Darren O’ Dea (Leeds United), Kevin Foley (Wolverhampton Wanderers).

Midfielders: Glenn Whelan (Stoke City), James McCarthy (Wigan), Seamus Coleman (Everton), Keith Andrews (West Brom), Keith Fahey (Birmingham City), Darron Gibson (Everton), Damien Duff (Fulham), Aiden McGeady (Spartak Moscow), Stephen Hunt (Wolverhampton Wanderers).

Forwards: Robbie Keane (Aston Villa), Kevin Doyle (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Shane Long (West Brom), Simon Cox (West Brom), Jon Walters (Stoke City).