The Reading striker will fly out to Germany on Thursday with the rest of his Republic of Ireland team-mates for Saturday's qualifier against Georgia intent on getting the campaign off to a winning start.

Giovanni Tapattoni's men will head straight from Mainz, where they are facing the Georgians on neutral territory because of the ongoing political situation in the Eastern European country, to Montenegro, where they will have an equally tricky task next Wednesday.

However, Long knows a maximum haul against two of Group 8's less fancied sides will help Ireland keep pace with reigning world champions Italy in the race for a place in the finals in South Africa.

Long said: "When we looked at these games when the draw was made, we thought these are games we need to win.

"Last year for us [Reading] in the Premier League, we didn't beat the teams around us, and that's why we went down.

"We need to beat the teams around the bottom of the league to have a chance of qualifying for the World Cup."

Asked if four points would be a creditable return, 21-year-old Long replied: "Yes, that would be good.

"But if we could get six points...that's what we are aiming for."

Long is one of three Reading players in the 22-man squad which assembled in Dublin ahead of the double-header, and the other two joined up still wondering what might have been after the closure of the summer transfer window the night before.

Winger Stephen Hunt missed out on a move to Everton, while striker Kevin Doyle was heavily linked with Tottenham as the Dimitar Berbatov saga reached its climax.

But when the clock ticked past midnight, both were still on the books at the Madejski Stadium.

Doyle's continued presence in particular may mean Long has to remain patient as he attempts to force his way into the reckoning.

However, he is confident he can learn from the Wexford-born frontman.

Long said: "You need competition to improve yourself as a player, but Kevin is a great player and the club needs him to go back up.

"He is a very good player who has proved himself in the Premier League, and playing with him is going to improve my game as well."

Doyle is currently Trapattoni's preferred partner for skipper Robbie Keane, and that means Long is also having to play a waiting game with the national team.

He said: "It's going to be hard - there is Daryl Murphy and Andy Keogh to think about as well, so there are three of us fighting for that first place on the bench.

"But you need competition and I have got to keep working hard in training to get my place."

Trapattoni and his squad trained once against at Malahide United's Gannon Park ground this morning when the only absentee was full-back Kevin Kilbane.

The Wigan defender was having a fitting for a protective mask, which he is expected to wear over his fractured cheekbone at the weekend.

If, as is expected, Kilbane is fit, Trapattoni seems certain to make few changes with Hunt's possible inclusion in place of the injured Damien Duff the most likely.

Central defender Richard Dunne, who missed last night's session with a sore throat, was back in harness today and is expected to be available.