McCarthy wants Doyle to play a part against Aussies

WOLVES manager Mick McCarthy now believes his €7.6m striker Kevin Doyle would benefit from playing 45 minutes against Australia at Thomond Park on Wednesday.

The former Ireland boss had accepted that his star player would miss Wolves’ opening Premier League game on Saturday against West Ham following a hernia operation but the Wexford man has surprised the Molineux club’s medical team by playing 21 minutes in Saturday’s friendly with Real Valladolid. Doyle looked sharp against the Spaniards considering he had played just 45 minutes football since the end of last season and may have a bit part to play against the Hammers.

“When I took him off I almost thought I should put a message out to the fans or get him to put his thumb up to show that he was OK,” explained McCarthy. “I didn’t want to give them that impression, but I understood when it all went quiet that they were thinking ‘Oh dear he’s got injured’. No he hadn’t.