Rovers pay-off

Duff could be out of action for up to three weeks after tearing a thigh muscle during a European Championship qualifier with Russia and the IFA will foot the bill for his wages during the period he is sidelined.

However, that has not stopped Rovers boss Graeme Souness from calling for a review of international football.

Souness wants a compulsory system of compensation introduced whereby all countries are made financially accountable for players while they are away on international duty.

As a result, if a player then suffered an injury during that period, his club would automatically receive mandatory compensation for the time he is out injured.

"There should be compensation with the salaries that players are on these days," said Souness.

"I make a comparison with having a factory, buying an expensive piece of machinery and someone comes along, picks the best one out and says, 'I'm going to take it away and the chances are it will return home broken. It's your problem, not mine.'

"What other business is there that works like that?

"You cannot even go out and buy a replacement for someone like Damien Duff.

"It is very frustrating. To be fair to Mick McCarthy, he has played ball with us by using Damien sparingly so this is not a personal criticism of him."

Under present FIFA rules, players like Duff have to be released for serious matches.

But if Souness had his way he would scrap all friendlies and he admits he used to deliberately miss international games himself as a player during his time at Liverpool.

"We have got the handcuffs on. We have to send the players. But I got 55 caps for Scotland and probably turned down another 30," said Souness.

"The managers, Bob Paisely and Joe Fagan, encouraged that. I'm not sure how much you take from playing in friendlies when you have used 18 or 20 players.

"I'd do away with them and have get-togethers instead."