Missing Players Main Republic News

Marco Tardelli

The start of the Republic of Ireland's four-game programme, which includes a Euro 2012 qualifier in Macedonia on June 4, has been somewhat overshadowed by the failure of several players to report for duty.

Speaking at a fractious press conference initially arranged to review Tuesday night's 5-0 win over Northern Ireland, Marco Tardelli, Assistant manager, said: "Why do you always want to speak about these players? I prefer to speak about the other players, the players who played last night. Ask me about Simon Cox or the other players. They deserve it."

Wigan midfielder James McCarthy, Birmingham's Keith Fahey and Stoke trio Marc Wilson, Jon Walters and Glenn Whelan were all expected in Dublin for this week's Carling Nations Cup matches.

Tardelli said McCarthy, Wilson and Walters were definitely out injured but then suggested world football rules may be invoked ahead of the Macedonia game requiring them to report to Ireland medical staff.

When pressed further, he said: "Wilson - out. He has a problem, injured. Walters is out, injured. Whelan and Fahey, they will come. The other players, I don't know. They stayed at home. That has been clarified. Maybe on Thursday or another day they will see the doctor."

Celtic striker Anthony Stokes sparked the first controversy of the week by withdrawing citing tiredness, a move which infuriated manager Giovanni Trapattoni. McCarthy then failed to report for duty on Monday as expected and Trapattoni said the player had made no contact with him or returned any calls, a claim denied by Wigan manager Roberto Martinez.

The Republic then thrashed Northern Ireland at the Aviva Stadium but the issue was not eclipsed as Trapattoni revealed after the game that Wilson - who had originally been selected to play - and Walters were also missing.

Some statements from team management and the FAI have suggested they did not concur with some team assessments about injuries. But Tardelli insisted that was not the case.

He said: "James McCarthy has a problem, he is injured. His season was very hard, he played with an ankle problem. I believe him, I believe Stoke, I believe the other players but sometimes it is possible to come here, have it assessed with the doctor and then go back."