James McCarthy left out of Ireland squad to 'sort out future' with Everton
International team managers Mick McCarthy and Colin Bell visited Trim Castle and the Knightsbrook Hotel to officially launch the 2019 Football Association of Ireland AGM and Festival of Football Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
MICK McCARTHY has indicated that James McCarthy has been left out of the Ireland squad for the summer internationals so he can sort out his club future.
The Everton midfielder has made just one appearance this season, a 15 minute cameo in last month's win over Manchester United.
He has been around Marco Silva's squad since January after recovering from a broken leg and a move away before the window was on the cards.
That didn't come to pass, which was a source of frustration for the Irish manager who admits that it would be hard to throw the Glaswegian into a fixture of substance given his recent CV.
The 28-year-old was not named in the provisional 30-man squad for the summer training camp in Portugal and the Euro 2020 qualifiers with Denmark and Gibraltar.
A conversation between player and manager took place before the list was revealed.
"He’s just not been playing and I did speak to him," said McCarthy. "He wants to sort his own career out, his own future out this summer.
"And with the other midfielders in the squad, I’m hardly likely to leave Jeff Hendrick, Conor Hourihane or Glenn Whelan out for him at this moment in time.
"Had he been fully fit for the last 12 months things might have been different because I think he’s one of our best players but that’s not been the case. So he wants to just sort himself out this summer.
"He wants to do that (play regularly). I think he wants to be fit and healthy and get his future sorted. He’s been on the bench so quite clearly he’s fit enough to be involved."
McCarthy added that Fulham's Cyrus Christie - a favourite under previous boss Martin O'Neill - has been excluded because he has simply fallen behind Seamus Coleman and Matt Doherty in the pecking order.
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