How The Irish Fared

VALUABLE WEAPON: Irish fans will rest a lot easier knowing that Damien Duff is ready to go against France next Saturday. The Fulham winger's participation for his country was in doubt during the week, but ninety minutes against Wigan have allayed those fears. / Getty Images

Damien Duff became a worrying doubt for the Republic of Ireland ahead of their big date with France in Dublin next Saturday, but those fears were allayed on Sunday when the Ballyboden man put in a full shift for Fulham in their 1-1 draw with Wigan.

Indeed the initial news on the Irish players involved at the weekend was good as all as Stephen Hunt, Kevin Kilbane, Glenn Whelan and Liam Lawrence, albeit as an unused substitute, came through the Hull-Stoke City affair on Sunday.

John O’Shea showed no ill effects of his ninety minutes work for Manchester United at Chelsea, while Aiden McGeady played a major role for Celtic against Falkirk, but continues to be frustrated by his team’s overall situation - the Bhoys could only manage a 3-3 draw against the bottom placed club.

Robbie Keane found the net for Spurs with a typical Robbie Keane goal while Kevin Doyle and Richard Dunne had varying fortunes as Wolves succumbed to the might of Arsenal and Aston Villa buried Bolton with five of the six goals scored at Villa Park.

Notably Steve Finnan and Steven Reid were absent from the Portsmouth and Blackburn teams respectively, yet the failure of Giovanni Trapattoni to recognize their collective worth in the first instance remaining as difficult now as it was then.

Andy Reid’s situation will hardly improve either. Fit and willing, and playing the best football of his career, the Sunderland midfielder remains surplus to requirements for the Boys in Green?

Meanwhile Bohemians goalkeeper Brian Murphy has been called into the Irish squad for next Saturday as a replacement for Coventry’s Keiren Westwood.

Murphy has been the top goalkeeper in the League of Ireland since joining Bohs from Swansea City three years ago.

Many observers feel that his first call-up to the senior squad is long overdue, given his performances in helping the Phibsboro club to back-to-back championship successes. The 26-year-old Waterford man is expected to leave Bohs in the close-season, with Ipswich manager Roy Keane known to be an admirer.

He replaces Westwood, who has withdrawn from the squad following an injury picked up in Coventry’s clash with West Bromwich Albion two weeks ago.

Otherwise it’s all systems go for next Saturday at Croke Park.

President of the GAA Christy Cooney has declared that Croke Park will not be required by soccer and rugby authorities beyond the end of the current agreement next May.

International fixtures in both sports have been a huge success at Croke Park over the past four years, while the Heineken Cup rugby semi-final between Leinster and Munster was also played out before an 82,000-capacity earlier this year.

But with the new AVIVA Stadium, jointly-developed by the IRFU, FAI and Government funding, scheduled to open for business in the New Year, Cooney reckons that the end is nigh for soccer and rugby at Croke Park.

He said: “I don’t believe there will be a need for it. One of the options being bandied about was if a rugby World Cup was coming to Britain and Ireland and the possible use of Croke Park for a final, but that is off the agenda now because the World Cup isn’t coming here.

“Genuinely, I don’t believe there will be a demand ... As it stands, the use of Croke Park is not available to soccer or rugby after the end of May. There’s no move to extend that because, in fairness to soccer and rugby, they will have their own stadium.

“They have agreed naming rights for the new stadium, they have corporate boxes and premium seats sold and it is hard to expect them to leave their stadium and rent Croke Park when they have a quality stadium for their own games.”

The first soccer international at the AVIVA Stadium will be the visit of Argentina next August while the new arena will also stage the final of the Uefa Europa League in May 2011.

France and Arsenal full back Gael Clichy has been ruled out of the World Cup play-offs against Ireland.

Clichy has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of his back and faces around a month on the sidelines. The 24-year-old left back is not first choice for France in any case, with Manchester United’s Patrice Evra and Barcelona’s Eric Abidal often preferred by boss Raymond Domenech.

France are also without knee injury victim Franck Ribery but Thierry Henry, who has been struggling for fitness, is set to play after being included in Barcelona’s squad for last two games.

Derby's 16-year-old defender Mark O'Brien has undergone heart surgery.

The Republic of Ireland Under-16 international had surgery on heart valves at Leicester's Glenfield Hospital and now faces a three-month rest before resuming his promising career.

The problem was first spotted in pre-season and medical staff began to monitor his condition but after consulting a numbe