Damien Duff is back in the Republic of Ireland squad for next week's 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ qualifier against Cyprus after missing last month's games against Georgia and Montenegro.
The Newcastle midfielder has recovered from a knee injury and was named in coach Giovanni Trapattoni's 22-man squad for the tie at Croke Park here on 15 October.
But Steve Finnan, Steven Reid and Stephen Kelly have not been selected because of fitness problems.
There is a return to the squad too for Scunthorpe keeper Joe Murphy, who will provide the back-up to Shay Given and Dean Kiely.
The Republic head into their third Group 8 game, at Croke Park on 15 October, having beaten Georgia 2-1 in Mainz, Germany, and then returned from Montenegro with a hard-earned point after a 0-0 draw in Podgorica.
Cyprus, who face the Georgians in Tbilisi on Saturday - the Ireland game was played at a neutral venue because of the political situation in the former Soviet state - lost 2-1 at home to world champions Italy in their opening fixture last month.
They have a history with the Republic after a 5-2 victory in Nicosia in October 2006 left Steve Staunton's side facing a losing battle to qualify for UEFA EURO 2008.
The sides drew 1-1 at Croke Park in the return game a year later, when Finnan's injury-time strike secured a point, but the damage had already been done.
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