UK Football

No Ireland or Reid in Trapattoni's squad

13:14 GMT, Mon 19 Jan 2009
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Manchester City's Stephen Ireland (L) celebrates a goal against Schalke 04 during their UEFA Cup soccer match in Gelsenkirchen November 27, 2008. REUTERS/Ina Fassbender (GERMANY)

DUBLIN, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Manchester City's Stephen Ireland and Sunderland's Andy Reid were not included on Monday in Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni's 25-man squad for next month's World Cup Group Eight qualifier at home to Georgia.

There had been media speculation that Ireland would return for the Feb. 11 match but City's in-form midfielder -- who last played for his country in September 2007 -- has decided to extend his self-imposed exile from international soccer.

Reid was dropped by Trapattoni for Ireland's friendly defeat to Poland in November after he had breached a 1am curfew three days before a World Cup qualifier against Montenegro.

"Today, Andy Reid or Ireland, please, it's finished. We speak with them. To clarify, it's finished," Trapattoni told a news conference.

"We are aiming to win. I hope the players will come back with the same spirit full determination like they had in November. I hope they haven't forgotten the work done until now." Espanyol full-back Steve Finnan and Birmingham defender Stephen Kelly both return after missing the last two games through injury. Coventry City's Keiren Westwood was preferred to Scunthorpe's Joe Murphy for the third goalkeeping spot. Ireland lie second in group eight, three points behind leaders Italy, but with a game in hand.

They defeated Georgia 2-1 in their opening World Cup qualifier in the German city of Mainz in September before holding Montenegro to a scoreless draw and beating Cyprus 1-0 in Dublin.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Shay Given (Newcastle United), Dean Kiely (West Bromwich Albion), Keiren Westwood (Coventry City)

Defenders: Alex Bruce (Ipswich Town), Damien Delaney (Queens Park Rangers), John O'Shea (Manchester United), Kevin Foley (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Paul McShane (Sunderland), Richard Dunne (Manchester City), Stephen Kelly (Birmingham City), Steve Finnan (Espanyol), Kevin Kilbane (Hull City)

Midfielders: Aiden McGeady (Celtic), Damien Duff (Newcastle United), Darron Gibson (Manchester United), Glenn Whelan (Stoke City), Keith Andrews (Blackburn Rovers), Liam Miller (QPR), Stephen Hunt (Reading), Andy Keogh (Wolves)

Forwards: Caleb Folan (Hull City), Kevin Doyle (Reading), Robbie Keane (Liverpool), Shane Long (Reading), Noel Hunt (Reading)

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