Republic of Ireland left back Marc Wilson took another significant step towards full fitness yesterday when he came through an hour of a friendly game between Stoke City and Scunthorpe without any reported problems.
The 25 year-old, who is a likely starter for Ireland in Stockholm next month if he is fully fit, had said before the game he anticipates a return to first-team action this weekend against Fulham in the event that yesterday went well.
“I think the game today will benefit me,” he said, “and then I have the rest of the week to get myself right for the weekend. I want to be back out on the pitch, because watching from the stands just isn’t the same.
“I’ve had a few weeks of training, and I’ve played in a few games now too,” he added. “The good news is that I haven’t felt any twinges. If anything, it is just general stiffness, which was to be expected.”
Wilson was one of nine players in the Stoke starting line-up to be replaced with half an hour remaining but there was no suggestion he had encountered any difficulties.
Sean St Ledger, meanwhile, is in the first-team squad for Leicester City’s Championship game tonight against Charlton Athletic. It is the first time the defender has been in with a shout of starting for his club since October when he suffered a hamstring problem.
Keith Fahey is back training at Birmingham City and hopes to be in a position to play for the club again within a matter of weeks following his compassionate leave back in Dublin.
“I want to thank the club for giving me the necessary time and support to deal with what was a genuinely personal family matter, I appreciate it greatly,” said the midfielder yesterday.
City boss Lee Clark said he was happy to have the Dubliner back. “It is great that Keith has now returned to the club. He underwent a full fitness assessment last week and I’m delighted to say that he is in great shape so, within a few weeks of being back in full training and some reserve team action, he should be ready to push his way back into consideration for first-team selection.”
The FAI has declined to comment on a suggestion by Ian Harte that Giovanni Trapattoni’s position as Ireland manager would be fatally undermined in the event that the contents of a text exchange between the Italian and Harte’s Reading team-mate Stephen Kelly were to become public.
The former Leeds United defender, who recently referred to Trapattoni as a “clown” and claimed that the 73-year-old had not known he was Irish, said that Kelly had shown the text to team-mates but he did not elaborate on what was supposed to have been said.
