Rep of Ireland v Oman preview: Robbie Keane prepares for final appearance

Martin O'Neill says his only disappointment at working with Robbie Keane was that he did not inherit him until he was 33.

The Republic of Ireland boss will hand the now 36-year-old striker an emotional farewell as he brings down the curtain on his international career in Wednesday night's friendly against Oman in Dublin.

Keane will win his 146th cap as he attempts to add to his record tally of 67 goals for his country at the Aviva Stadium on a night which will single the end of an era.

The LA Galaxy frontman has played a greater role off the pitch than on it in recent years but he will pull on the green shirt for the final time having written himself into the nation's sporting folklore.

O'Neill said: "Since I've come, the only disappointment I would have had is that I didn't have a 27-year-old Robbie Keane rather than a 33-year-old, at the time, I think he was.

"He's been a terrific, an absolutely terrific player and certainly he will be hard to replace. Robbie will take away some great memories with the number of games he has played, the number of goals he has scored."

For all the Oman game is a low-key friendly - the visitors have drawn with League of Ireland sides Cork and Limerick during their tour of the country - it will also serve as a warm-up for Monday's opening World Cup qualifier in Serbia.

As a result, O'Neill knows he will have to strike a balance between the sentiment of Keane's final bow and the business of honing his squad for the onset of hostilities.

He said: "I haven't told him whether he will start the game, but he will certainly be participating in the game. There's a fairly decent chance he will start the game."

He added with a smile: "Is he one [goal] behind Gerd Muller? Is he? Well, he'd better do it in the first 20 minutes of the game because he's going to find time pressing, really pressing."

Neither Seamus Coleman nor James McCarthy will feature against the Omanis as they continue their recovery from ankle and groin injuries respectively, while defender John O'Shea will join up on Wednesday after staying at club Sunderland for treatment on a hip injury.

Live International Football: FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifiers