McCarthy answers Ireland’s U21 call-up

JAMES MCCARTHY has indicated his intention to join up with Ireland’s U21 panel for the European Championship qualifying games against Hungary and Turkey next month.

However, McCarthy is still said to be nursing an ankle injury he picked up in a pre-season friendly for Wigan and it remains to be seen if he will be fit enough to play in their Premier League game against QPR at the weekend.

Should the midfielder be ruled out of that game or fail to see out the 90 minutes then it would hardly be a shock to see him withdraw from the U21 squad.