Long injury list quickly shortens as players put hands up..

SHANE LONG provided a timely fitness boost for Ireland’s World Cup bid by coming through yesterday’s training unscathed.

The Southampton striker had sat out on Monday and Tuesday after shipping a dead leg in the weekend defeat to Stoke City.

With Jon Walters already out, it was a cause for concern for manager Martin

O’neill and assistant boss Roy Keane.

But Long gave the management team the thumbs up by joining the rest of his team-mates for the entire session (above) at FAI headquarters in Dublin.

Ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Moldova, O’neill has no fresh injury concerns to contend with as others who had been carrying knocks earlier in the week have the green light.

Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter has put a calf problem behind him while David Mcgoldrick’s hamstring issue appears to have improved considerably.

And Celtic’s Jonny Hayes is showing no adverse reaction to a recent ankle issue.

Everton wanted James Mccarthy to withdraw from the squad but the Toffee’s out-offavour midfielder trained for the third day running (inset). Usually a first-team player for Ireland when fit, Mccarthy hasn’t featured for his club since July due to a knee injury.

It is unlikely that he will start against Moldova tomorrow as Arter, David Meyler and Glenn Whelan all appear ahead of him in the pecking order.

Mccarthy hasn’t played for Ireland since the 3-1 win over tomorrow’s opponents in Chisinau almost a year ago.

Leeds United midfielder Eunan O’kane has recovered from a rib injury that forced him to skip training on Monday. He came off the bench in that previous win over Moldova and insists they cannot be overlooked tomorrow.

O’kane told FAI TV: “The biggest threat they bring is they’ve nothing to lose. Sometimes when you’re up against an opponent like that it’s the worst kind.

“They’ll be doing everything they can to win so it’s up to us to carry out a professional job.

“Roy (Keane) says it all the time, that we go out to win every game, but there’s a little bit of added pressure in these games as you know the dream could be over. But this is the environment you want to be involved in when there’s something on the line.”