With Euro 2016 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Georgia, the last thing the Ireland management want is their key players picking up knocks and injuries.
But in the case of Everton and Ireland midfielder, assistant boss Roy Keane sees a few knocks here and there as a good thing.
Speaking at the press conference ahead of Friday's Gibraltar clash, he said of McCarthy: "Yeah, he's back fit. He took a knock. I think if you're playing in the middle of the park you should be getting knocks every week. That's the name of the game. You're hitting people, they're hitting you. I'm always concerned when lads turn up and they haven't taken knocks. Particularly midfielders. You're supposed to be getting them. It's part of the game."
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