David Meyler To Make International Debut, McClean Handed Reprieve

Giovanni Trapattoni will hand an international debut to David Meyler when his Republic of Ireland side take on Oman at Craven Cottage tomorrow.

The midfielder was a surprise call up in place of Darron Gibson who claimed to be still not in the right mental shape to pull on the green of his country after a dismal showing at Euro 2012. Meyler was called up to the squad in 2010, but was forced to withdraw through injury.

At the same time Trap has also been quite lenient on James McClean following his outburst on Twitter this weekend at being an unused substitute against Kazakhstan. The manager told the Irish Examiner of the situation;

The Twitter matter is closed, no problem.

If he could have, he would have eaten his words. I spoke with him in front of the other players. He was very apologetic but I said to them all that we have to have a lot of patience with the young. Every young person is sometimes very impulsive. They say now what sometimes tomorrow they regret.

His team-mates spoke to him too and I know what was said. He was very, very apologetic.

Another manager, English or German, would have said, ‘take your bag and go home'. But I might need him in the game to score a goal. If he goes home, he can't score a goal. But he must have respect for the others.

There's still no place for McClean in the side though, and having deleted his Twitter account (again) he will no doubt be very quiet if he doesn't get onto the pitch tomorrow night. Impressive under-21 winger Robbie Brady will make his senior bow in the place of McClean, despite having never played a minute for Manchester United.

Ireland XI To Play Oman

David Forde; Seamus Coleman, Stephen Kelly, Sean St. Ledger OR Paul McShane, Marc Wilson; Robbie Brady, David Meyler, James McCarthy, Andy Keogh, Shane Long, Kevin Doyle