James McCarthy winning fitness battle as D Day beckons in France

Some injury issues are still to be resolved as Martin O’Neill’s squad enjoy one last weekend pass off base before the Republic’s June 13 D-Day in France, but there was encouragement yesterday in the sight of James McCarthy training with the group for a second day in a row.

The Everton midfielder has suffered under the yoke of a succession of soft tissue issues in recent times and the thigh/groin injury he has been carrying lately has been a daily source of conversation since the squad met up in Dublin last Monday week.

That injury profile should guard against any ‘out-of-the-woods’ complacency when it comes to his fitness, however, and it was interesting to hear him explain that he had taken “just about a full part” in training yesterday having undertaken the entire load the day before.