Soccer:Richard Dunne did not train with his Republic of Ireland team-mates in Gdynia this afternoon. The Aston Villa defender watched from the sidelines as the rest of the squad was put through a gentle session in the wake of last night's 3-1 Group C defeat by Croatia, but manager Giovanni Trapattoni insists he is merely being rested.

Dunne was limping as he left Poznan’s Municipal Stadium after the game but Trapattoni said this afternoon, in a lively but non-confrontational briefing, that "he has blisters" and is a "little bit tired". Goalkeeper Shay Given, he retierated had no reaction to the calf muscle strain and was ready to take to the field. "He could play. He's not injured."

Midfielder Darron Gibson also took a limited part in the session but he too is okay, according to the manager, who defended some of the decisions he made last night, especially the substution that saw Simon Cox preferred on the left wing to either James McClean or Stephen Hunt. Both are natural left-sided players but Trapattoni said the goal threat provided by Cox informed his decision to use the West Brom striker when replacing Aiden McGeady in the second half.

"I wait, I wait, I wait for this question," he said with some relish. "Remember when you asked me 'why five strikers?' I said, Cox, is also a winger. He can also play in a three attacking players. Remember,

when you said this? Cox is one of the strikers. Our wingers not go many times in goal. I ask you, how many goals score, McGeady, how many goals score Hunt?

Cox's "attitude" was also a factor and Trapattoni added a reminder of a late goal Cox scored in Dublin against the Czech Republic, when he scored coming in from the left, though on that occasion he was playing a more natural role up front. Asked whether he had doubts over the attitude or confidence of others. like McClean and Hunt, he retorted: "Absolutely not. We need to change the other players. When we need to recover a goal, also McClean. He is a winger. Hunt is a winger.

"At this moment we had to look about scoring a goal. Our job, I know, I can ask to you. How many goals score Hunt? I need to recover a goal. I put the winger because in this moment, because Duff or McGeady. We need to, have players, with the quality to score a goal."

Ominously for McClean, who was the only outfield player not to warm up during the game last night, he said the winger was not ready for the occasion and suggested he may not see any game time in Poland.

"He will come in the future. Not when we change this, or this, or this. We have this situation. James McCarthy? We have a concrete team. We can, in the future."

He added: "I have a duty. It's his first game. When, there is the senior, the experienced players. In this situation, there is tension. You can understand how much more tense a young player can be. It's important we give them the quiet opportunity. Not when we need their performance, under pressure. It's a heavy weight on his shoulders."

Reflecting on the game, the 73-year-old said after watching it again "with calm" he "reached the conclusion that we played good enough...not as well as Croatia....but the same level".

"Obviously, in terms of the performance. Croatia were superior to us. But, our performance, was more than positive. And the mistake....we also had the opportunity to achieve the draw, we deserve. The second goal, I remain the same opinion. It was offside. And, the second half, it was also, a great penalty," he added, referring to the time captain Robbie Keane was bundled over in the box by centre back Gordon Schildenfeld.

The Italian has not given up belief, and will make sure his players don't, despite needing at least a point against Spain on Thursday in Gdansk to ensure the final Group C game against Italy this day week is not a dead rubber. Spain manager Vicente Del Bosque, he suggested, might start Fernando Torres up front after beginning the 1-1 draw with the Italians with six midfielders and no recognised striker.

"I think, after I saw the game. Maybe, maybe, he will play with Torres. Maybe. But, Vicente decides his own tactics. Maybe he thought that the Italians have a good defence, he would play with small, fast, tactical players. He change when he understood...in this moment...they had the necessity to put in front a heavy striker."

Trapattoni was asked whether he had considered changes, but he turned the tables on the questioner. "Do you know what you will write Thursday or will you decide on the day? I have to think. Maybe, maybe not sure. You make important jobs, but you write your opinion. A manager, a coach, has a great heavy responsibility about the psychology of the players. In this situation, we lost the game. What you think when your job, your newspaper, they read the newspaper, if they don't sell a newspaper.

"What do you think? It's your mistake. Or maybe your director had a duty to change. There is also this psychological situation. A manager, a coach, must understand, because, I have two duties. Duty to change if opportunity, or duty to give again, confidence, and create a good reaction, a positive reaction, with these players, the team. That is important."