Mick faces selection problem for Crewe match

Mick McCarthy is facing problems with his squad selection for the Crewe match this weekend, in the face of a growing injury list.

Gary Breen and Colin Healy are already out of the Ireland squad to face Canada in a friendly at Lansdowne Road tonight with knee and toe injuries respectively, Sean Thornton will miss the World Youth Championships in the middle east with an ankle ligament injury, Alan Quinn is receiving treatment for a knee injury and Jason McAteer, although expected to play for the reserves tomorrow, isn't yet fit enough for first team action. Thomas Butler is not expected to return to the first team until close to Christmas and Matty Piper has only just started light training as he recovers from a knee ligament injury. The resurgent John Oster is only one match into a three-match ban for his sending-off at Norwich on October 25th; Oster missed the Coventry home match recently and will miss the forthcoming Crewe and Burnley matches.

The gaffer could, however, call on the services of fit-again Paul Thirlwell who was such an inspiration to the team during Jason McAteer's absence earlier this season, and Sunderland still have Stewart Downing on loan from Boro, with his stay looking likely to be extended by at least another month.