Lippi and his players arrived in Dublin on Friday evening and after visiting Croke Park, he held a brief, and at times curt, press conference in Clontarf.

The World Cup-winning manager was immediately questioned about Cannavaro's failed drugs test, and responded by emphatically claiming the matter is at an end.

He said: "It's all over, it never existed, it was never a problem.

"It's already been resolved. It's been put to bed. It was never a problem."

Lippi had been asked about Cannavaro before leaving Italy earlier on Friday and was at pains to move on from the subject on the eve of Saturday night's World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland.

The 36-year-old defender is suspended for the game on disciplinary grounds, but found himself engulfed in controversy on Thursday night when it was revealed he had failed a drugs test after taking a medicine that contained the banned substance cortisone for an insect sting in August.

He had requested an exemption from taking drugs tests on the grounds of having taken a medication in an emergency situation, but his request did not include a document necessary to complete the application, and the substance was found in his system after a Serie A game at Roma.

Italy team doctor Enrico Castellacci said: "When he came to the national team, after the Roma game, he told us what had happened and he told us that without the medicine that contained cortisone he would have had a reaction, an anaphylactic shock.

"We asked Juventus for all the necessary documents regarding the medicine taken by Cannavaro and all the communication is in our possession."

Cannavaro is expected to join up with the rest of the squad on Sunday when they return home for Wednesday's final Group 8 match against Cyprus.

Lippi will hope he does so with the holders having secured their passage to South Africa, a feat they would achieve by collecting just a single point on Saturday night.

But asked if Italy will play for a draw, he replied: "Contrary to what most people think, when an Italian team goes abroad to play a match, they never play for a draw.

"We always play to win and that's what we will be trying to do tomorrow night.

"With all due respect to the Irish team and their quality, we will be playing for a win."

Ireland head into the game knowing they must beat the Italians and Montenegro on Wednesday if they are to stand a chance of snatching automatic qualification from Lippi's men and even then they will miss out if the 2006 winners beat the Cypriots.

However, the manager is well aware that compatriot Giovanni Trapattoni is eyeing a famous Irish win having already claimed a point in Bari in April.

Lippi said: "It is maths and Trapattoni has a right to hope. We hope for different things, obviously.

"Ireland will certainly do their best to win the game, but this time we will expect to play 11 against 11 and not 10 against 11 like last time (following Giampaolo Pazzini's dismissal)."

Lippi has found himself in the spotlight in recent months with his side at times labouring on the pitch, and for his repeated refusal to select Sampdoria's Antonio Cassano, much to the annoyance of the player's fans.

However, despite losing his patience over the Cassano issue earlier this week, he is adamant he is happy in his job.

He said: "That's normal. Sometimes I get upset and tell people off.

"But I'm very happy in my job. There are still a few things I am not full satisfied with yet."