Sky Live: Republic v Georgia

Republic of Ireland boss Martin O’Neill will not gamble on James McCarthy’s fitness as he looks for a first victory of the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Midfielder McCarthy has not kicked a ball for Everton since August 23 and missed the opening qualifier in Serbia after undergoing groin surgery, and he met up with his country on Sunday with club manager Ronald Koeman urging Ireland to look after him.

O’Neill is adamant he will not risk a player who is a key member of his strongest team unless he is convinced he is fully fit ahead of Thursday night’s game at the Aviva Stadium with a trip to Moldova to follow three days later.

“I’ve been involved in club management for quite some considerable time, less so as an international manager,” he said. “I have never played anyone who has arrived and not been properly fit, against their will to play.

“That has never been the case and, in fact, as an international manager, I’ve been pretty lenient about those particular things.”

O’Neill has seen McCarthy step up training since his arrival in Dublin and will make further checks on Thursday morning before making a final decision.

“I would listen to the player, and the player has come over here and trained,” he said. “He hasn’t played for a couple of weeks.

“Would fitness be a concern? Of course. Lasting the match would be a concern. But if the injury has cleared up, I wouldn’t see that as a problem.”

The Republic needed a late Daryl Murphy equaliser in Belgrade to secure a 2-2 draw with Serbia, and know there will be little margin for error in this double header if they want to make it to the finals in Russia.

They took six points from Georgia during the last campaign, …

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