ITALY MANAGER Cesare Prandelli’s preparations for the European Championships were hit yesterday by the news that Giuseppe Rossi has reinjured the anterior cruciate ligaments in his right knee just eight weeks before the start of the European Championships.
The striker, who featured in seven of the Azzurri’s 10 qualifying games, had been due to return to action for Villarreal over the coming weeks but will now be out for a further six months.
With Antonio Cassano far from certain to be fit for the tournament despite having resumed training after having suffered a stroke and then undergone heart surgery late last year, the news is a blow to Prandelli, who must decide on whether to hand Mario Balotelli a major role in Poland or possibly recall veteran striker Antonio Di Natale.
The battle to nail down places in the Ireland squad resumes this afternoon in England, meanwhile, with Kevin Doyle set to start for Wolves at Sunderland, where Marco Tardelli is due to watch from the stands, while West Brom’s Shane Long is hoping to feature against QPR and Ciaran Clark returns from injury ahead of Aston Villa’s visit to Old Trafford.
Giovanni Trapattoni said this week he still has a couple of decisions to make but Doyle and Long should be safe enough, barring injury. The Wolves striker could do with making a strong finish to the season to be sure of starting in Poland and having either scored or laid on five of his side’s last six goals, he will be hoping to make an impact today.
Long has not started successive games for West Brom since the first half of the season and looks set to drop to the bench after an industrious performance in the 4-0 defeat by Manchester City.
Injuries have played a major part in marginalising the Irishman but, he says, “I thought I worked hard and put in a fair shift [against City]. I’m getting fit and I think I’m in the manager’s sights for a starting position [although] whenever I’m called upon I’ll be ready to do a job,” he said.
Clark returns from a two-month lay-off with a knee injury and could conceivably start at left back for Villa if Stephen Warnock (ankle) misses out. The young Ireland international’s return is more likely to be gradual, but a run of games in the first team might yet leave him well placed to book a place on the plane to Poland if others, team-mate Richard Dunne being an obvious candidate, miss out through injury.
Trapattoni continues to predict that Dunne will return for Villa and be ready for international duty at the end of the season.
Shay Given, meanwhile, insists that the desire to go into the championships on a strong run of form outweighs any concerns about picking up an injury.
“You know that you want to be on top of your game in the summer,” he said, “so at the back end of the season you are gearing up to that.
“That’s the motivation for myself at Villa and I’m sure it’s the same for the other Ireland lads at other clubs. It’s about not worrying whether we get injured.”
