WOLVES STRIKER KEVIN DOYLE has been dropped from the Ireland squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Sweden and Austria.

Manager Giovanni Trapattoni this evening cut his panel to 23 players ahead of the game in Stockholm next Friday and the Dublin fixture against Austria four days later.

Doyle — who scored his first league goal in over three months as Wolves beat Bristol City 2-1 today — is one of six players named on the standby list along with club mate Stephen Ward.

Aiden McGeady and Paul McShane have been ruled out due to knee and ankle injuries respectively while Stephen Henderson, Joey O’Brien, Alex Pearce and David Meyler are the other players on standby.

“As a manager, I am sometimes faced with some very tough decisions,” Trapattoni said, “but I feel that the squad I have chosen will get us the results we need from these two qualifiers.

“I have not made these choices lightly, and will continue to monitor each player’s progress ahead of our next challenges in May and June.”

The Ireland squad assembles in Malahide for its first training session tomorrow.

Ireland squad to face Sweden and Austria

David Forde, Keiren Westwood, Darren Randolph, John O’Shea, Sean St Ledger, Ciaran Clark, Marc Wilson, Seamus Coleman, Stephen Kelly, Darren O’Dea, Glenn Whelan, James McCarthy, Paul Green, Wes Hoolahan, Jeff Hendrick, James McClean, Andy Keogh, Robbie Brady, Robbie Keane, Shane Long, Conor Sammon, Jon Walters, Simon Cox.

Standby: Kevin Doyle, Stephen Ward, Joey O’Brien, Alex Pearce, Stephen Henderson, David Meyler.