Football: Charlton's 'home' help

Jack Charlton probably would not mind taking his Republic of Ireland team to Wembley in the European Championship, but not just yet. The Republic of Ireland manager is not about to surrender "home" advantage by agreeing to move his side's play-off match against the Netherlands away from a 41,000-capacity Anfield, even if playing there means thousands of Irish supporters having to stay at home.

"At Anfield it will be a home game for our Liverpool players Jason McAteer, Phil Babb and Mark Kennedy - if I pick them of course," Charlton said yesterday. "The crowd there is close to the pitch and the atmosphere will be a great help to us."

Louis Kilcoyne, the Football Association of Ireland president, suggested an application for a switch to Wembley so that more Irish fans - 20,000 of them travelled to Portugal for last night's 3-0 defeat - could buy tickets, but England have a match there, coincidentally against Portugal, the day before the 13 December play-off.

Tne FAI's chief executive, Sean Connolly, said: "Maybe Uefa would have brought pressure to bear but we are not now going to ask for a switch, Jack having stated his preference."

Charlton will test the co-operation of leading club managers by invoking the five-day international rule which gives him first call on players. Unlike last weekend before the Portugal defeat, there is a full Premiership programme on 9 and 10 December and Charlton is fearful that he will continue to have difficulty with players being withdrawn through injury.

"Thanks to Northern Ireland beating Austria we've been given yet another chance of qualifying and I don't want to see it squandered by players being pulled out again through injuries. We have had a horrendous time the last six months having to field weakened teams. I accept that as international manager I only borrow players from their clubs, but I've got to get every advantage I can this time," Charlton said.

Roy Keane will struggle to be fit after hernia surgery, but Ireland's captain, Andy Townsend, should be over his foot problem, having missed Wednesday's defeat, the worst in Charlton's 92-match reign.