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Mick McCarthy hints no Ireland debutants to feature in remaining Euro 2020 qualifiers

Mick McCarthy has suggested that he is unlikely to field any debutants in the remaining Euro 2020...



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Mick McCarthy hints no Ireland debutants to feature in remaining Euro 2020 qualifiers

Mick McCarthy has suggested that he is unlikely to field any debutants in the remaining Euro 2020 qualifiers.

Ireland's senior side have still to play Georgia away, Denmark at home and Switzerland away in Group D.

Meanwhile, a number of Ireland Under-21 players shone in their own qualifier win over Armenia on Friday night.

They take on Sweden on Tuesday night in the Euro 2021 Under-21 qualifiers, on the same night that McCarthy's seniors take on Bulgaria in a friendly.

The Ireland manager explained that the competitive nature of the Under-21's assignment meant he had no plans to call any of their players up for the Bulgaria match.

But he also added that he doesn't expect to fast-track too many of them straight away for the remaining qualifiers.

Extremely Impressed

Speaking alongside senior captain Seamus Coleman, McCarthy said: "That would be wrong of me [to call them up]. The '21s still want to qualify for a competition. And I was extremely impressed certainly by [Aaron] Connolly. I thought he was the pick of the bunch and Molumby as well. Certainly, Connolly, he was the one that caught the eye. Connolly and Molumby I thought were excellent."

McCarthy also feels playing those emerging talents in a senior friendly won't be educational for him.

"I'm not sure that if I play them in a friendly against Bulgaria, it will tell me that they can compete in a game against Georgia away, Switzerland away or Denmark at home.

"It's a competitive game Sweden and I'm sure that I'll learn from that than I would from a friendly."

He added that he hopes to see those youngsters getting ample game-time at club level. But he also noted that the remaining senior qualifiers might not suit debutants.

"I hope they give me that dilemma when they are playing," he began.

"But I keep going back to it. I'm not sure Georgia away, Switzerland away and Denmark at home are games for debutants. Of course, it's always the case if I do that and they didn't play well, that question would be asked."

You will be able to watch Part 1 of today's Mick McCarthy and Seamus Coleman press conference on YouTube. Part 2 will be available after 11pm tonight.

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Bulgaria Euro 2020 Ireland Mick McCarthy Off The Ball Seamus Coleman