Kavanagh and S.Reid out!

No Elliot , Given and now Kavanagh for our crucial double qualifier.

Sunderland midfielder Graham Kavanagh has been ruled out for four to six weeks with a knee injury.

The Republic of Ireland midfielder will have surgery on the problem after a scan on his knee revealed cartilage damage.

The news will come as a blow to both Black Cats boss Roy Keane and Republic of Ireland manager Steve Staunton after Kavanagh's impressive start for the Wearsiders since joining from Wigan in August.

Staunton will be forced to do without the services of Kavanagh for the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Cyprus and the Czech Republic

If he doesnt bring Carsley back now, he should be fired!

they are dropping like flies im afraid to read the papers now...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by The Legend

If he doesnt bring Carsley back now, he should be fired!

---

Man, it's sad that we're relying on him. He's 32 as well. Time for the likes of Miller, Douglas and Ireland to step up. I wish they looked ready for it. :(

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by John83

Man, it's sad that we're relying on him. He's 32 as well.

---

I think he has just peaked late.

I think Kavanagh out for 4-6 weeks is a positive, I don't think he has anything to offer us. I've seen enough, next please.

i agree-no loss. hoofing the ball and constant fouling does nothing for us though we're not exactly blessed with replacements.

Steven Reid is defo out now. RTE have just put it up on their website.......we'll have no bloody MF at this rate!

Even still, if it means that Carsley gets a call up and McGeady gets a start then we'll already have fielded a better midfield than the one in Stuttgart.

Steven Reid is out of the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2008 qualifiers against Cyprus and the Czech Republic.

The Blackburn Rovers midfielder has not played since injuring his back in the opening qualifying defeat to Germany in Stuttgart at the start of the month.

Reid did travel to Austria for the first leg of Blackburn's UEFA Cup first-round tie against Red Bull Salzburg a fortnight ago.

However, it was evident during the training session at the Bulls Arena the evening prior to the game the injury would not allow him to play.

Reid has since seen a chiropractor to discover the extent of the problem, with the hope of returning after the international break.

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes said: 'Steven is improving, but his recovery is not going as fast as we would like, so he certainly won't be involved against Wigan this Sunday.

'He also won't be involved with Ireland. He hasn't kicked a ball or been out with the group for about two weeks. So there's no point his going because he wouldn't be in a fit state to play.

'It is better for him, us and Ireland if he stays behind and has intensive treatment morning and afternoon, and let's see if we can get him back quickly.

'Hopefully then he will be available for selection after this break coming up.'

He added: 'But it's difficult with back injuries. It's fairly difficult to nail down what the actual problem is, and he is still feeling discomfort.

'He had injections in his back a couple of days ago, and we are hoping it will calm things down. Over the next few days we will see if it has had an effect.'

With another midfielder in Graham Kavanagh also out after knee surgery yesterday, the door is open for Lee Carsley to return to the international fold.

Carsley has not played for his country for two and a half years after deciding to concentrate on club football with Everton and his family at the time.

But the 32-year-old, who has won 29 caps, telephoned Ireland boss Steve Staunton on Tuesday to let him know he was ready to end his exile.

Earlier this week, Staunton confirmed: 'Lee phoned me and said he wishes to be considered for selection as he has now re-established himself in the Everton first team, and that is welcome.'

With obvious problems in the central midfield area, Carsley may now get the nod for the 7 October game with Cyprus in Nicosia and the 11 October clash with the Czechs at Lansdowne Road.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/2006/0929/reids.html

I bet this will be a really bad weeked for us in the premisership! loads of players will get injuried! Stan HAS to call up Carsley......he is one of the top midfeilders in the premiership right now!

Carsley should have been there in the first place, but he must get a call up now. Otherwise, Stan is the muppet that he looks like

I hope stan isnt going to let his pride stand in the way and will call up and play carsley.

He really does make it hard for himself. Saying publicly that McCarthy isn't ready yet and then saying he's forgetting about Holland and Carsley. It does make that phone call a bit more awkward. :)

i hope he gives mattie a call...

McPhail?

What's the great surprise? Even if Steven Reid had made the trip it'd have been daft to play a guy who hasn't played one minute's football since Stuttgart.

O'Shea figures highly in Stan's plans. Not saying I agree with it but that's a fact.

Carsley will be added to the squad I guess. that's good.

Miller & Douglas are both capable of doing a far better job than Kilbane did in Stuttgart. Stephen Ireland is in the squad. Andy Reid hopes to make the Charlton team this weekend. McGeady is playing well.

Why do we say we have no midfield all of a sudden?

Staunton is an eegit. He's already all but said that this campaign is going nowhere as his focus is four years down the road. For that attitude alone I think he should be sacked. Carsley is probably our top performing midfielder at the moment but Staunton prefers to pick Newcastle reserves and sixteen year old prospects who may never mature. The man is a complete fool.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by elroy

I hope stan isnt going to let his pride stand in the way and will call up and play carsley.

---

I think Stan said that as Kav would be available the experience was there. Now he's out, I think he can easily cite Carsley's experience to save face.

I'd like to see McPhail & Alan Quinn added too. Ideal opportunity to get a week with all the players even on the fringes. It'll only cost a few plane tickets and a few nights in a hotel whereas there are definite benefits.

Ironically since CM is our weakest position it is the one where we can probably afford injuries most.

Apart from S Reid I'd say we have 8-10 equally good/bad players for this area, namely

O'Shea
Carsley
Kilbane
Andy Reid
Miller
Douglas
McPhail
Holland (now he's back)
Finnan

plus
S Reid
Kavanagh

and maybe
Gavin Mahon
Owen Garvan when back

Forgotten anyone?

Would any one of these hugely improve our chances vs any other one.
I'd be more concerned if Dunne got injured. (By the way I saw a 2001 post on here today by someone berating Mick for picking Dunne ahead of O'Shea. How fickle we are!)

Does anyone else find it ironic that lots of people are screaming for Carsleys return yet there was hardly a positive comment when he was involved and hardly a murmur when he announced his retirement??

Don't get me wrong, Carsley can do a job on his day but he hasn't turned into Zidane overnight and I'll bet my mortgage most of those same people will be slagging him off IF he returns and has a stinker.