TRANSFER NEWS:WIGAN MIDFIELDER James McCarthy believes he is just a matter of weeks away from returning to first team action with the Premier League strugglers with the 20-year-old having come through his initial return to training following an ankle ligament injury without any significant problems.
“I can’t wait to get back,” said the player, capped once to date by Giovanni Trapattoni early last year, in an interview with his club’s official website. “My biggest problem has been trying to do too much too quickly, and the physios are always having to tell me to slow down.
“I’m hoping to be back for the Arsenal game towards the end of the month. I’m not 100 per cent sure, but that’s definitely the target I’ve set for myself. I’ve started kicking the ball and hopefully this week I’ll get more involved in the rest of the training.”
McCarthy has been laid up since damaging the ankle in the league game against Bolton back in October and while his return might come a little too late for him to earn a recall to the Ireland squad for the meeting with Wales – Trapattoni is due to name his squad for the game just two days after the Arsenal game – he should be well placed to earn a recall to the Italian’s squad ahead of the European Championship qualifier against Macedonia in late March in the event that he can rediscover something like his early season form.
With Shay Given still expected to leave Manchester City over the course of the transfer window if a suitable offer comes in, Keiren Westwood has suggested that he could be open to the idea of committing his long-term future to Coventry City despite having endured a showdown with manager Aidy Boothroyd on the matter back in the autumn.
Westwood, whose current deal runs out in the summer, has been linked with a number of clubs since the start of the season including the likes of Wigan and Celtic and his refusal to sign an extension late last year prompted Boothroyd to drop him only for the manager to back down in the face of the player’s determination to keep his options open.
Now, however, he has admitted that he might be persuaded to stay if City can continue their challenge for promotion and he is convinced that he can best advance his career there.
“Anything could happen and you never say never,” says the 25-year-old. “At that time I said that I wanted to see where the club were going and it is still the same. Nothing has changed really and I am just working hard like I always do.”
Mark Hughes has dismissed speculation linking Irish winger Damien Duff with a return to Ewood Park over the course of this month. “He’s not available,” said the Fulham boss yesterday. “He’s very much part of what we are doing. Allowing a player of the quality of Damien Duff to leave would be bad management. I’m not about to do that.”
Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew is reported to be one of those eyeing up an offer for Stoke City midfielder Glenn Whelan who has suggested he would be open to the idea of leaving the Britannia Stadium in the event that he is not likely to be starting games regularly over the latter part of the season.
The Dubliner, who turns 27 today, has been the subject of at least one solid inquiry from another Premier League club and it is believed that Tony Pulis would seriously consider an offer of €1.75 million for the midfielder.
