Blues skipper Matt Holland has revealed that worries over Town's relegation have meant that he hasn't been able to sleep in recent weeks. The Town captain will be on the bench tonight as Ireland take on the USA in Dublin.

Holland says concern about Town's plight has turned him into an insomniac: "I have not been able to sleep properly for about three weeks now.

"I'm excited about going to the World Cup with the Republic but I can't stop thinking and worrying about Ipswich and it is giving me sleepless nights."

He added: "We are in a difficult position but it is not over yet.

"Arsenal have been on a fantastic run but they did not look particularly good at Old Trafford. Middlesbrough put them under pressure and set about them.

"We have to learn a lesson from that and know we can get to them. They have had injuries and have a lot of pressure on them as they are going for the double. It is up to us to make it difficult for them."

Holland and the rest of the Irish players have agreed to give their fees from their two-legged World Cup play-off with Iran to the families of the firefighters killed in the September 11th attacks. A cheque will be presented to the US team before tonight's game.

As for Sunday, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says his players will not be too tired despite six of his likely side being away with their national sides this week. Nwankwo Kanu, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Sylvain Wiltord, Freddie Ljungberg and Martin Keown are all with their various squads.

Wenger doesn't think this will affect them for Sunday: "We have so many games at this time of the season and so don't have the time to prepare them mentally but on the other hand you don't lose your energy by being too much excited because you have no time.

"You just worry that you recover well and we worry that we want to see how our players come out of the games and then we have three days to concentrate on the next important game."

Sol Campbell is already out of the game after being injured in the MIddlesbrough game at the weekend.

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