Ireland to monitor McCarthy

Injured midfielder James McCarthy will be monitored after being left out of the Republic of Ireland squad for the Euro 2016 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Germany because of injury.

The Everton man, who has become a key member of manager Martin O’Neill’s first-choice team, missed the Europa League clash with Krasnodar on Thursday night with a thigh problem, and his condition will be assessed ahead of the double-header in Dublin and Gelsenkirchen.