Rumours rife over McCartney – Sanchez fall out

The BBC has claimed that Sunderland defender George McCartney no longer wants to play for Northern Ireland while manager Lawrie Sanchez is in charge.

Rumours among the media and supporters over recent months suggest that Belfast-born McCartney has had problems with Sanchez’s style of management and that this came to a head following the 4-1 defeat to Germany at Windsor Park at the end of last season.

While no official statement has been made by either player or manager, McCartney was not named in Northern Ireland’s 16-man squad which arrived for a friendly with Malta in Valetta on Monday night. However, the 24-year-old has missed most of Sunderland’s pre-season because of a hamstring problem and is likely to be out for another month.

Also missing from Northern Ireland’s squad for Wednesday night’s game are five other defenders - Chris Baird, Mark Clyde, Tony Capaldi and Gareth McAuley – who are all out through injury.

Aaron Hughes, Colin Murdock and Stephen Craigan are the now the only recognised defenders in the squad which is likely to mean that Sanchez will opt for three centre half’s and two attacking wing backs.

Northern Ireland go into Wednesday’s game without a win since last summer’s Carribean tour against Trinidad & Tobago.

Next month they face both Azerbaijan and England at Windsor Park in their 2006 World Cup qualifying group.

Wednesday’s squad is named as: M Taylor, M Ingham, A Hughes, C Murdock, S Craigan, J Whitley, S Davis, D Johnson, C Brunt, S Elliott, K Gillespie, P Mulryne, D Healy, J Quinn, W Feeney, S Jones.

(MB/SP)