O’Neill is frustrated that the Everton manager has seemingly blamed him for McCarthy’s current injury troubles.
Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill has criticised Ronald Koeman’s ‘bleating’ over the injured James McCarthy, after the Everton boss accused Ireland of overloading the midfielder during last month’s international break, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.
Despite currently being sidelined with a hamstring injury he sustained during training last month, McCarthy has been controversially included in Ireland’s provisional 35-man squad for next Saturday’s World Cup qualifier with Austria.
Koeman was incensed after the Boys in Green chose to field McCarthy, who had only just returned from a groin operation, for over 170 minutes in just four days during last month’s qualifiers against Georgia and Moldova, with the Toffees’ boss claiming that the midfielder had been ‘massively overloaded’ by Ireland; accusing O’Neill of ‘killing the player’ by fielding him for two whole games so soon after a lengthy spell on the treatment table.
However, O’Neill has now taken the opportunity to refute the Barcelona legend’s derogatory claims; lamenting Koeman’s ‘bleating’ over McCarthy’s injury problems and insisting that the 25-year-old had declared himself fully-fit prior to being fielded in the Republic’s October’s qualifying games.
“I totally refute that. James had declared himself fit. He played the first game and came off in the second not because he was injured but because he was tired.” O’Neill told the Liverpool Echo.
“And, remarkably, he trained the very day their manager was bleating about it.
“I am speaking to James and he is improving day by day. If the game was this weekend he wouldn’t make it and for the following weekend I would say he is doubtful.
“He needs to get some training in but I said I would leave him in the provisional squad to see how things go.”
Koeman is unlikely to be overly-enthused by O’Neill’s remarks, with McCarthy having played a paltry 57 minutes for The Toffees following last month’s international break before breaking down with a fresh injury blow.
The former Wigan Athletic star has featured just four times for Everton in all competitions this season, whilst he has represented Ireland on six separate occasions; fuelling Koeman’s suggestions that The Republic’s medical department may be turning somewhat of a blind eye to McCarthy’s current injury issues to ensure that he can play his part in helping O’Neill’s side qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
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