Mick: It’s good to see James McCarthy back

Baby steps but significant ones. That was Mick McCarthy’s assessment after witnessing James McCarthy’s first appearance in a Crystal Palace shirt.

On Monday, just days after an £8m (€8.6m) move from Everton, McCarthy anchored the Palace U23 side’s midfield in a 1-1 draw with Birmingham City, a significant landmark for a player who only played 20 minutes of senior football last season after recovering from a broken leg.