On-loan striker Tyrone Barnett has returned to Peterborough United having suffered a posterior cruciate ligament injury in a behind-closed-doors game on Monday. The 27-year-old faces around three months on the sidelines.
McCarthy said: "The big news is Tyrone Barnett and he’ll be going back to Peterborough, he’s damaged his posterior cruciate ligament. He did it in the game on Monday and he’ll be out for a while.”
Barnett’s three-month spell at Town is up on January 19th but he will return to London Road during that period.
Better news for the Blues boss is that Nigel Reo-Coker is available again after his hamstring problem, although Luke Hyam is unlikely to be involved at Leeds on Saturday: "Nigel is fit, he’s trained all week. He was fine.
"Luke was expected to be fit today and probably is, but he’s poorly, he’s got a virus so he went home yesterday.
"He’ll be injury free for the Christmas period. But he’s doubtful for Saturday and he would have been anyway because he’s been out for a couple of weeks.”
Bradley Orr was suffering with a stiff neck last week but is not considered a doubt, while a couple of other players should be fine despite minor tweaks: "Bradley should be fine, I’ve not heard anything to the contrary. Elliott Hewitt, had a tight hamstring, I think he’ll be OK. DJ had a bit of a tight hamstring but will be OK to train.”
Barnett’s unavailability means Bile Mohsni will come back into the travelling party, having missed out recently as the unlucky sixth domestic loanee.