Colin Doyle's impressive performances in goal for Birmingham City over the past six weeks have won him a call-up to the full Republic of Ireland squad.

Doyle, a regular for the Ireland Under-21 team, will replace Nicky Colgan of Barnsley who has been forced to withdraw through injury.

Doyle, aged 21, will form part of Steve Staunton's revised 24-man squad for the European Championship qualifying matches against Wales in Dublin on Saturday and against Slovakia in Dublin next Wednesday.

However, Paul McShane, the West Bromwich Albion right back, is struggling for fitness. McShane, also 21, sustained an ankle injury during Albion's 1-1 draw at home to Birmingham last Sunday. He met up with the Ireland squad a day late but remains optimistic of playing some part against Wales.

"I was supposed to have flown to Ireland on Sunday night but my ankle would have swollen up on the plane," McShane said. "I am getting treatment and it feels OK but we will just have to wait and see how it goes over the next few days.

"I have been looking forward to the Wales game for ages and I want to give myself the best chance of playing but I will make sure I am 100 per cent fit to go into the game."

Staunton's Ireland team have endured a wretched time in this campaign and lie third in group D. Failure to defeat Wales would seriously hinder their chances of qualifying for the 2008 tournament, to be staged in Switzerland and Austria.

Also in the squad is Stephen Kelly, the Birmingham right-back, who has missed international matches because of injury.

Meanwhile, McShane has been impressed with Sam Sodje, the Nigerian defender, who has joined Albion on loan from Reading as a replacement for Curtis Davies.

Sodje made his Albion debut last Sunday and performed well and McShane said the loan signing has cushioned the blow of losing Davies to a foot injury.

England Under-21 international Davies is likely to be out for the season.

"Sam fitted in really well," McShane said. "You know what you're going to get from him. He's an honest chap and knows what he's good at, which is in the air and basic defending.

"You know what he's going to do because he's all about defending and keeping the goals out. He's a great addition to the team and we struck lucky in getting him in. He's a good defender and he's a good replacement for Curtis.

"I'm getting used to playing right-back and I enjoy it now. I quite like getting in among the attacks and bombing forward but obviously the main priority is defending, which I love.

"I just want to shake off my injury, keep playing and hopefully get promotion at the end of the season. Sunday felt like a loss because they'd gone down to ten men and scored with ten men. It was a bit of a punch in the stomach.

"But I never want to rule us out of automatic promotion. It is a big task now and we need results to go for us. I just want to go up whether that's automatically or through the play-offs. It will be tough."

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