Trapattoni recalls Duff for Cyprus qualifier

Damien Duff is back in the Republic of Ireland squad for next week’s World Cup qualifier against Cyprus after missing last month’s games against Georgia and Montenegro.

The Newcastle midfielder has recovered from a knee injury and was named in coach Giovanni Trapattoni’s 22-man squad for the tie at Croke Park here on October 15.

But Steve Finnan, Steven Reid and Stephen Kelly have not been selected because of fitness problems.

There is a return to the squad too for Scunthorpe keeper Joe Murphy, who will provide the back-up to Shay Given and Dean Kiely.

The Republic head into their third Group 8 game, at Croke Park on October 15, having beaten Georgia 2-1 in Mainz, Germany, and then returned from Montenegro with a hard-earned point after a 0-0 draw in Podgorica.

Cyprus, who face the Georgians in Tbilisi on Saturday – the Ireland game was played at a neutral venue because of the political situation in the former Soviet state – lost 2-1 at home to world champions Italy in their opening fixture last month.

They have a history with the Republic after a 5-2 victory in Nicosia in October 2006 left Steve Staunton’s side facing a losing battle to qualify for Euro 2008.

The sides drew 1-1 at Croke Park in the return game a year later, when Finnan’s injury-time strike secured a point, but the damage had already been done.

Republic of Ireland squad

Goalkeepers: Shay Given (Newcastle United/ENG)), Dean Kiely (West Brom/ENG)

Defenders: Alex Bruce (Ipswich/ENG), Damien Delaney (QPR/ENG), Richard Dunne (Manchester City/ENG), Steve Finnan (Espanyol/ESP), Stephen Kelly (Birmingham City/ENG), Kevin Kilbane (Wigan/ENG), Joey O’Brien (Bolton/ENG), John O’Shea (Manchester United/ENG), Paul McShane (Sunderland/ENG)

Midfielders: Stephen Hunt (Reading/ENG), Aiden McGeady (Celtic/ENG), Liam Miller (Sunderland/ENG), Andy Reid (Sunderland/ENG), Steven Reid (Blackburn/ENG), Glenn Whelan (Stoke/ENG)

Forwards: Kevin Doyle (Reading/ENG), Robbie Keane (Liverpool/ENG), Andy Keogh (Wolves/ENG), Shane Long (Reading/ENG), Daryl Murphy (Sunderland/ENG)