Barrett and Butler get senior call

ARSENAL striker Graham Barrett and Sunderland midfielder Thomas Butler will join the Republic of Ireland senior squad after playing for the Under-21’s tonight.

Don Givens’ U-21’s face Switzerland at Buckley Park, Kilkenny, in their second European Championship qualifier, aiming to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat in their opening game in Russia last month.

McCarthy has lost three of his players through injury - Andy O’Brien of Newcastle, Jeff Kenna of Birmingham, and Southampton’s Rory Delap - and has called on Barrett and Butler to bolster his ranks after they have won their 18th and 10th Under-21 caps respectively.