Gerard Nash and Billy Clarke have been placed on standby by the Republic of Ireland for their U19 European Championship qualifiers next week.

U19 boss Sean McCaffrey has named the Academy duo in reserve but it's unlikely 17-year-old Billy would be able to make the trip as he sustained medial ligament damage in the second-leg of the FA Youth Cup Semi-Final at Tottenham.

Billy - knee injury

Gerard, who has skippered his country at youth team level, is working his way back to full fitness after having a cartilage operation at the end of 2004 and has come through a handful of reserve team games with no problems.

That surgery followed on from a cruciate ligament operation in December 2003.

Ireland face Poland, Albania and hosts Serbia and Montenegro in the qualifiers next week with a place in July's finals in Northern Ireland at stake.