EURO 2004 QUALIFIER: After spending the weekend in hospital because of an infection Gary Doherty will complete Brian Kerr's 22-strong travelling party for Basel when he joins the Ireland squad in Dublin today.

The Tottenham player was advised to see a doctor last Thursday after feeling ill at training and was subsequently taken in for tests. But Kerr said yesterday that the 23-year-old had been discharged on Monday evening and is fully fit for Saturday's game against Switzerland.

"He's fine," said the Ireland manager. "It was just precautionary. It might have been that he was a bit run down but I spoke to him last (Monday) night and he said he felt great again so there's nothing to worry about."

All 21 of Kerr's squad took part in the first training session of the week and Kerr expressed some satisfaction afterwards with the fact everybody called up last week is available for Saturday's game.

However he added: "I don't remember any occasions when we were looking at it and saying, 'well, if everyone shows then this will be the team,' how every one gets on in training through the week is always a factor, but it's good to have everyone in, it's always nice to have options."

The Republic of Ireland manager insisted the aim this weekend is to win while the hope is the three points the result would bring will be enough for the Republic to top Group 10. But, with Russia expected to beat Georgia at home, he admitted, he'd take a place in the play-offs if offered it ahead of tomorrow morning's flight out of Dublin Airport.

"It's a tricky situation, we have to try to win the game, but so do they," he said. "We're not in control of the overall situation but it's still a great opportunity for us, considering we're coming from a situation back in March where we had no points at all on the board.

"It's good to have the chance of reaching the play-offs and getting two more games for a place in the finals. The play-offs would be tough. You'll have the likes of Spain, Holland and I think Slovenia will be there. A few of our neighbours might be involved, or Turkey. But we'll take that at this point because the alternative is that we'll be rebuilding in November, or at least taking a different approach before the World Cup draw in December."

Getting the balance right between the pursuit of all three points and guarding against the possibility of the Swiss scoring and then having to chase the game from early on would, he said, be an important factor.

"You don't want to go hell for leather and then find that, having had a difficult target to start with, you have even more to do, but we'll be positive out there. I don't think we've ever really been any other way."

The Swiss, he said, would have to strike the right balance too if they are to win the game and retain first place in the group. "But then I thought I saw Kobi Kuhn quoted somewhere last week saying that they'd definitely beat us. That's fine. If he knows that already then that's fair enough."

Back with the squad after a long absence yesterday was Cardiff City midfielder Graham Kavanagh, who Kerr insisted was not merely going to Basel to make up the numbers.

The 29-year-old Dubliner has been in outstanding form at club level and feels that despite having earned only three caps up to now, he can still make an impact on the international stage.

"Since my last game, Mick McCarthy called me into a few squads late but it's difficult when that happens and you never quite feel a part of the squad," he said.

"It's great to be called into a squad for such an important game from the outset and the fact that Brian has said some very kind things about me has come as a real boost.

"With every squad that's named it's hard not to feel that maybe you're chance is slipping away but I've always felt that mine would come again. Just to be involved is fantastic but now that I'm here the intention is to kick on and challenge for a place in the team.

"The games before were fantastic," he added, "particularly against Sweden when I scored. To do that at Lansdowne Road, a place I'd bunked into so many times was a dream come though," he smiled.

"Maybe you could show a few all about bunking in this Saturday," chuckled Kerr as the pair got up to leave.