Football: Jenkins to miss trip to Turkey

IAIN JENKINS, the Dundee United full-back, has become the third player to withdraw through injury from Northern Ireland's squad for their difficult opening European Championship qualifying Group Three match in Turkey on Saturday. Jenkins has a hamstring injury.

Lawrie McMenemy will not call a replacement into his squad, but the coach has brought in Watford's uncapped midfielder, Peter Kennedy, to help fill the gap left by the injury to the captain, Steve Lomas. McMenemy, who had earlier called up Queen's Park Rangers' Keith Rowland, will take only 17 players to Istanbul.

In addition to Lomas, who has an ankle injury, and Jenkins, Northern Ireland have lost the Dundee United centre-half, Darren Patterson, because of a neck problem.

Paul Mardon has been called into the Wales' squad to face Italy in their opening qualifier at Anfield. The West Bromwich defender, who has missed much of the last two seasons with hamstring, thigh and knee injuries, has played only 20 minutes of international football - as a 70th-minute substitute against Germany in Cardiff in 1996. The Wales coach, Bobby Gould, who has lost Mark Pembridge and John Hartson, the West Ham striker, because of injury, has also called up Paul Trollope, the Fulham midfielder, and the Nottingham Forest goalkeeper, Mark Crossley.

Gould is expected to promote Norwich's Craig Bellamy from the Under-21 match against the Italians at Wrexham.

Roy Keane has been given the nod over Steve Staunton and will captain the Republic of Ireland in their opening qualifier against Croatia at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

n British Telecom have been revealed as the pounds 5m sponsors of Hampden Park, Glasgow's new-look international stadium. BT's deal, the first of its kind at Hampden, will last until the year 2008 and will fund additional building work as well as improving the playing surface.