WORLD CUP PLAY-OFF: REPUBLIC OF IRELAND v FRANCE
First leg: Croke Park, Dublin Date: Saturday, 14 November Kick-off: 1900 GMT Second leg: Stade de France, Paris Date: Wednesday, 18 November Kick-off: 1900 GMT Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Sport website

Trapattoni's team finished second behind Italy in Group Eight

Giovanni Trapattoni has left Steven Reid and Steve Finnan out of the Republic of Ireland squad for the World Cup play-off against France.

Blackburn midfielder Reid and Portsmouth defender Finnan have recovered from recent injuries but failed to make the 25-man squad.

Sunderland's Andy Reid and Coventry's Clinton Morrison are also omitted.

The first leg of the play-off is at Dublin's Croke Park on 14 November and the second in Paris on 18 November.

"This team now is balanced. It is not the time to change the team now. We have a mentality," said Trapattoni.

The Italian added: "We performed strongly throughout the qualifying group stages.

"We were undefeated in all 10 games and this is a reflection of how we have played and also the mental strength of this team."

Despite the strength of the opposition Trapattoni believes his Republic squad showed enough during the group stage of the qualifying campaign, where they finished second behind Italy in European Group Eight.

Trapattoni added: "France have a strong squad but we go into this play-off knowing that we are only 180 minutes away from qualifying for the World Cup."

The Republic manager recently drew an angry response from Reid's club boss Sam Allardyce for suggesting the midfielder might not completely recover from a knee injury.

Republic of Ireland squad: Given (Man City), Westwood (Coventry), Murphy (Scunthorpe), O'Shea (Man Utd), Dunne (Villa), Kelly (Fulham), Kilbane (Hull), Nolan (Preston), St Ledger (Middlesbrough), McShane (Hull), O'Dea (Reading), McGeady (Celtic), Duff (Fulham), Gibson (Man Utd), Whelan (Stoke), Andrews (Blackburn), Miller (Hibernian), Hunt (Hull), Keogh (Wolves), Lawrence (Stoke), Doyle (Wolves), Keane (Tottenham), Long (Reading), Best (Coventry), Stokes (Hibernian).

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