Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trappatoni’s forward options for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Italy and Montenegro are dwindling as Damien Duff and Caleb Folan have suffered knocks that may rule both out of the final Group 8 matches.

Duff injured his calf in Fulham's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last Saturday and scans have revealed that the 30-year-old will be out for a few weeks. While it is unclear as to how bad the injury is, Duff is unlikely to be able to play against Italy on October 10. 

However, depending on how the injury responds to treatment, there is a chance that Duff might be fit for the final qualifier against Montenegro on October 14

The prognosis is not as positive for striker Caleb Folan. The Hull player is currently on loan at Middlesbrough and tore his hamstring in training and could be on the sidelines for up to six weeks.