51.   He had been recovering after a hernia operation, it said.

52.   Injuries, including two hernia operations, were mostly to blame for those absences as Ireland lost four of their last five games under Jack Charlton.

53.   But he hopes to have made his peace with unsettled Russian winger Andrei Kanchelskis and have Roy Keane and Steve Bruce fit after hernia operations.

54.   Defender Paul Parker has a persistent ankle injury and midfielder Roy Keane is due to have a hernia operation, but both may play.

55.   Ferguson has now recovered from the hernia operation carried out before his imprisonment and is preparing for his return.

56.   Ferguson is struggling to be fit for the match, although he has made a good recovery from a double hernia operation.

57.   The only senior political figure missing from the meeting was former premier Silvio Berlusconi, leader of the Forza Italia party, who underwent a hernia operation earlier Sunday.

58.   The Republic of Ireland international is to undergo a hernia operation.

59.   Veteran defender Colin Hendry is to have a hernia operation, while Rangers experienced strike partnership of Ally McCoist and Gordon Durie also withdrew because of injury.

60.   It is a further setback for the Republic of Ireland midfielder who has been he fighting for fitness following his second hernia operation of the year.