The Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy has told Republic of Ireland fans to be calm about the prospect of Roy Keane being fit in time for the World Cup finals.
The Manchester United captain is trying to recover from a hamstring injury in time to play in the summer tournament and, if he can return in time, Manchester United's crucial end-of-season club matches.
McCarthy says that Keane should still be considered a doubt after the injury, which he picked up against Deportivo La Coruna in the Champions League.
However, McCarthy told a British newspaper that he was far from giving up hope because of the player's excellent fitness giving him a good chance of recovering in time.
He said: "United's doctor contacted me four or five days after Roy was injured and felt confident he would be back within four weeks."
"There was talk he had a knee problem as well and could be out for six months, but I knew if that was the case Roy would have phoned me and said: `That's it.'
"I don't need to chase him. He tends to talk to our physio Mick Byrne and always tells him: `Don't believe anything you hear or read unless you hear it from me.'
"Roy is one of the fittest guys in the Premiership and I'm confident he will be okay for the World Cup."
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