Ireland to monitor McCarthy
Injured midfielder James McCarthy will be monitored after being left out of the Republic of Ireland squad for the Euro 2016 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Germany because of injury.
The Everton man, who has become a key member of manager Martin O’Neill’s first-choice team, missed the Europa League clash with Krasnodar on Thursday night with a thigh problem, and his condition will be assessed ahead of the double-header in Dublin and Gelsenkirchen.
McCarthy is one of 10 players, all of whom will either be monitored or remain on stand-by, left out after being named in an initial 37-man squad with keeper Darren Randolph, defenders Stephen Kelly, Paul McShane, Damien Delaney and Shane Duffy, midfielders Andy Reid, Paul Green and strikers Simon Cox and Conor Sammon the others.
Ireland, who won 2-1 in Georgia in their opening Group D game last month, face minnows Gibraltar at the Aviva Stadium on October 11 and then meet reigning World champions Germany three days later.
Squad: David Forde (Millwall), Shay Given (Aston Villa), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday), Rob Elliot (Newcastle); Richard Keogh (Derby), Marc Wilson (Stoke), Seamus Coleman (Everton), John O’Shea (Sunderland), Alex Pearce ( Reading), (Crystal Palace), Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa) Stephen Ward (Burnley); Jeff Hendrick (Derby), Glenn Whelan (Stoke), Darron Gibson (Everton), Aiden McGeady (Everton), Jon Walters (Stoke), Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff), James McClean (Wigan), Robbie Brady, Stephen Quinn, David Meyler (all Hull), Wes Hoolahan (Norwich); Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), Shane Long (Southampton), Daryl Murphy (Ipswich), Kevin Doyle (Crystal Palace), Anthony Stokes (Celtic).
