Giovanni Trapattoni will give his pre-match press conference this afternoon, ahead of tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier against Austria, and the calf injury to Robbie Keane means we face a wait to see who will come into the side in place of the captain.

John Giles was on Newstalk Breakfast this morning and he told Phil Egan he believes the choice of who starts alongside Shane Long in attack will prove to be a pivotal factor in how we fare against Austria tomorrow night, and he expects Trapattoni to stick with his favourites – both established and emerging.

Conor Sammon is rumoured to be the man Trapattoni wants to start alongside Long, and the manager appears to have taken a liking to the Derby striker since he made his debut in last month’s friendly with Poland. Sammon came on as a late substitute in Stockholm and although he offered an industrious, physical presence most Irish fans will see him as a the lesser option when compared with the creative play of Wes Hoolahan.

Hoolahan made a late appearance on Friday night and, once again, he looked to be a step above any other attacking midfield option Trapattoni has at his disposal. John Giles, however, thinks we can expect to see Trapattoni stick with his favourites, and he would “be surprised if Hoolahan starts.”

Simon Cox is another player with a track record of finding himself the subject of the manager’s admiration, and the Nottingham Forest striker is the most likely alternative to Sammon. Giles told Phil he thinks that if it isn’t Sammon lining up from the start, it could well be Cox, with Hoolahan again finding himself on the bench.

Giles was critical of Trapattoni’s claims that his message regarding Robbie Brady had been misunderstood by the press. The press originally reported that Trapattoni had cited a weak mental state as the reason for not selecting Brady, but that claims has since been contradicted by Trapattoni who said he “never said (Brady) was confused”.

Giles believes the story was clear from the outset. “It seems to be quite clear from what all the reports were that the implication was the Brady wasn’t ready for the game.
“I don’t know how that could be misunderstood as much as the manager says now.”

Listen to the full interview with Giles via the player below, and listen to his thoughts on the team selection and Trapattoni's handling of the Robbie Brady issue

Giovanni Trapattoni talks to the players
©INPHO/Morgan Treacy