Republic of Ireland striker's injury scare subsides but green fever over Euro 2012 is growing to epidemic proportions
Robbie Keane remembers the moment when his Euro 2012 dream flashed before his eyes. Few players had done more than the Republic of Ireland's captain to drive the nation to their first major finals since 2002 but it felt as though he might be on the outside looking in as his body ached after 90 minutes for Los Angeles Galaxy.
Montreal Impact's Olympic Stadium is not a venue well known to European fans but its quirk is that its turf is artificial. Keane could have cursed it on the Saturday before last. "I'm not used to playing on that surface and my body reacts differently," he said. "I tightened up after the game and I couldn't go for a jog. I couldn't even sprint at three-quarter pace."
Keane went for a scan. He would also be withdrawn from the Galaxy's next match at Chivas USA. Keane is one of the few survivors from Ireland's World Cup adventure in Japan and South Korea and, at 32, he is running out of chances. So was he worried? "Of course I was," he said. "Even if I knew it wasn't too bad, I knew there was something there. The physio said it was a little nerve in the hamstring but it seems to have settled down quite well. I've trained the last few days and, thankfully, it's OK."
Injury scares have been the theme of the week in the Ireland camp, ahead of Saturday's friendly at the Aviva Stadium against Bosnia, opponents who have been selected for their similarity in style to Croatia – Ireland's opening Group C opponents. Giovanni Trapattoni's team then face Spain and Italy.
At one stage, it was possible to count 10 of Trapattoni's 23-man squad who were carrying problems of varying severity. The manager has called in Paul McShane from his standby pool and he will start at right-back against Bosnia. If Kevin Foley cannot shake his hamstring strain, McShane will replace him in the squad for the finals.
The most worrying injuries are those to Shay Given and John O'Shea, neither of whom will play against Bosnia. Given, who hurt his knee in training on Monday, has sought the second opinion of a specialist that he particularly trusts in London, which is not the action of an unconcerned player. O'Shea, to paraphrase Trapattoni, could not risk a knock to his ankle at the moment.
Trapattoni, though, insisted that both players would most likely be available for the friendly against Hungary in Budapest on Monday week and there was positive news over and above Keane's recovery. Richard Dunne and Sean St Ledger, Trapattoni's favoured central defensive pairing, proved their fitness in the morning training session after injuries.
They will start against Bosnia in a team who will feature a full debut for James McClean on the left wing and a rare start for Darron Gibson in midfield. Trapattoni said that he would "surely" use all seven of his substitutions as he highlighted the need to evaluate the fitness of his players.
In the Dublin sunshine, sweetness and light prevailed and, in contrast to England, Euro fever has gripped. The flags and shirts are out; the green bunting is up. The single that the squad have recorded with Damien Dempsey, The Rocky Road to Poland, sits at No1, beating off competition from Jedward's Put The Green Cape On (which is not a sentence that can be expected to appear in the sports section) and 20,000 Ireland fans are set to travel to Poland.
Trapattoni and Keane addressed the media from a Ford car showroom on the north side of Dublin, where corporate guests outnumbered the journalists and looked down from a balcony. In the kerfuffle when Trapattoni entered, a photographer kicked over and smashed a glass. "Ah, it is good luck," said Trapattoni, one of the game's most superstitious characters.
Confidence is high. Ireland are unbeaten in 12 games, and have conceded only three times during the sequence. The team are settled, with each player knowing his job. Never mind Trapattoni naming his starting XI for Bosnia, he confirmed that he would pick his usual side against Croatia, injuries permitting, with Given, O'Shea, Keith Andrews and Aiden McGeady coming back in. The difference to the buildup in 2002, when tension dominated, is marked.
"I can't remember the atmosphere being like this … [there being] the kind of feeling around the country as there is now," Keane said. "Ask me one song from 2002 and I don't think I could name one. Now there must be a hundred."
No one could have predicted the drama of the English club season, with the final twist being Chelsea's outlandish Champions League triumph.
Ireland can take heart from the manner in which a spirited and defensively resilient group brought the very best to their knees. They intend to show that the underdog has one last bite.
Republic of Ireland v Bosnia (4-4-2): Westwood; McShane, Dunne, St Ledger, Ward; Duff, Gibson, Whelan, McClean; Keane, Doyle Read More
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