Football / World Cup: Keane to drop anchor: Charlton's holding operation

JACK CHARLTON, the Republic of Ireland manager, is relying on the 21-year-old Roy Keane, who has just nine full caps, to fulfil an essential role in tomorrow's World Cup qualifier with Denmark in Copenhagen.

Without Paul McGrath and Ronnie Whelan - both injured - Charlton is looking to Keane, the versatile Nottingham Forest player, to play in the anchor position just in front of the back four.

'It is a big bonus for us that Roy has been playing at the back for Forest,' Charlton said, 'because we always try to have somebody holding in front of our back four who knows the centre-half's job.'

With Mick McCarthy and Steve Staunton also absent and Kevin Sheedy doubtful, the Irish are lacking in experience for their biggest Group Three test so far - although Denmark have looked jaded since winning the European Championship, with 0-0 draws in Latvia and Lithuania. Charlton is wary of their danger man: 'Brian Laudrup is the one we have to watch. He has the ability to turn in confined space and make things happen that you don't expect.'

Richard Moller Nielsen, the Danish coach, has lost two players with British experience: the defender Jan Bartram (once of Rangers) and the former Luton striker Lars Elstrup. Both have knee injuries; Brian Steen Nielsen and Marc Riber are their replacements.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND UNDER-21 (v Denmark, Uefa Under-21 Championship, Copenhagen, today): Colgan (Chelsea); Byrne (Bangor), Dunne (Dundalk), McCarthy (Brighton), Greene (Luton), McGrath (Shamrock Rovers), Kinsella (Colchester), Rush (West Ham), Power (Norwich), Bacon (Arsenal), Dempsey (Gillingham). Substitutes: McKenna (UCD); Breen (Gillingham), Kelly (Leeds), Kavanagh (Middlesbrough), Toal (Manchester United).