James McCarthy is a major doubt for Ireland's World Cup playoff clash with Denmark after David Unsworth confirmed the Everton midfielder is a 'couple of weeks' away from fitness.
Speaking to the BBC’s Conor McNamara in the wake of his side’s 2-0 defeat to Leicester City, the stand-in Everton boss has effectively ruled McCarthy out of the two-legged tie, which will be played on November 11th and 14th.
Unsworth confirmed he would speak to Ireland boss Martin O’Neill about the 26-year-old’s fitness and “what is best for club and player.”
Unsworth says McCarthy’s injury is “nothing too severe... had a scan, he’s out for a couple of weeks”.
— Conor McNamara (@ConorMcNamaraIE) October 29, 2017
Ireland’s play-off is in 2 weeks.
McCarthy made his long-awaited return to first team action last week, playing the first 62 minutes of Everton’s League Cup defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
However, he has since picked up a hamstring injury which is set to rule him out of next months playoff against the Danes.
O'Neill is already without David Meyler for the first-leg trip to Copenhagen, as he serves a one game suspension.
