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Gibson available... for club and country

Fit-again midfielder open to Ireland recall

Roberto Martinez has announced that Darron Gibson has been passed fit to be included in the squad that will travel to West Ham this weekend. The 25-year-old has missed the Blues' first five games of the season with a knee injury suffered in the friendly against Real Betis last month but has been back in training for the past fortnight and is now looking to get back to match fitness.

He will be joined in the traveling party by Arouna Kone who has recovered from severe bruising he sustained in training last week.

Gibson, meanwhile, has revealed that he would welcome a return to international football now that Giovanni Trapattoni has been relieved of his duties as manager of the Republic's national team.

The midfielder has been in self-imposed exile from the Irish setup after being snubbed by the Italian at Euro2012. Gibson did not play a minute of Ireland's three games as they crashed out of the tournament with three defeats.

"I never really wanted to make a big deal of it to be honest with you," Gibson is quoted as saying. "But after what happened at the Euros, I just felt I couldn't play under him anymore.

"I was embarrassed when I came back from the Euros [after] not winning a game and not getting on the pitch.

"I was playing every week at the time for Everton and we finished in the top six of the Premier League.

"Obviously I didn't get on and I just felt he had some sort of problem with me - but I felt he had a problem with me before the Euros as well as I never played.

"Like I said, I didn't want to make a big deal about not playing under him, so I kept myself quiet. But I am available to come back now."

While there has been much talk of former Aston Villa and Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill replacing Trapattoni, FAI chief executive John Delaney admits that he will not be rushing into a decision after receiving interest from a number of parties in the post.

 

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