O’Neill risks Koeman wrath over McCarthy

Martin O’Neill is hoping to avoid another club versus country row with Everton as James McCarthy attempts to prove his fitness ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Wales.

McCarthy was included in a provisional 39-man squad for the Group D showdown with the Welsh on March 24 and the friendly against Iceland four days later when it was announced yesterday morning, despite sitting out Everton’s Premier League victory over West Brom with a hamstring injury.

O’Neill has found himself at loggerheads with Toffees boss Ronald Koeman over the Glasgow-born 26-year-old on more than one occasion during the qualifying campaign, but is keeping his fingers crossed this time around.

Speaking as he unveiled his squad at a press conference in Dublin, he said with a smile: “At least Everton can’t blame us this time, I hope, James hasn’t been with us for months.”

He added: “I spoke to James the other day and he expects to be training by the end of this week, so we’ll see then.”

Koeman claimed McCarthy had been “massively overloaded” when he played in both October qualifiers against Georgia and Moldova following his return from groin surgery – a charge O’Neill angrily denied – and was less than happy when he was called up for November’s qualifier against Austria as he recovered from a hamstring injury.

The midfielder ultimately withdrew from the party which travelled to Vienna after failing to recover, but once again faces a race against time to demonstrate his readiness to play a part in a key fixture for Ireland.

Aberdeen pair Johnny Hayes and Adam Rooney also made O’Neill’s squad.