The Republic of Ireland team manager, Stephen Staunton, will wait until after the week-end before deciding whether or not he will call up replacements for the players who have been ruled out of the UEFA Cup matches by injury.

Staunton named a squad of 25 players for the matches earlier this week but since then four players have dropped out – Steven Reid (Blackburn Rovers), Andy Reid (Charlton Athletic) and the Sunderland pair of Graham Kavanagh and Stephen Elliott.

Steven Reid was withdrawn today by Blackburn manager Mark Hughes when it became obvious to the medical staff there that he would not be recovered in time to assist Ireland.

The 25 years old Reid captained Ireland for the first time in the absence of Robbie Keane and Shay Given against the Netherlands on August 16 and he has been capped 20 times.

Over the past couple of seasons he emerged as an influential player in central midfield with Blackburn and suggested he was about to fulfil the potential he showed when first capped by Ireland against Croatia in August 2001.

His namesake, Andy Reid, is almost back to full fitness and might make a come-back to the Charlton squad before next week’s international matches.

His lack of match fitness means that he will not travel with Ireland for the match in Cyprus on October 7. He might join the Irish squad on their return, however, for the match against the Czech Republic on October 11.

Ireland’s manager Stephen Staunton will wait for the week-end club matches before deciding whether to call up reinforcements.

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