Midfielder Cole Skuse will miss tomorrow’s game against Wolves with Stephen Gleeson set to make his full debut for the Blues against his old club. Good news for the Blues is that Grant Ward and Adam Webster will both be back in the squad, while Tom Adeyemi will make his return to action in the U23s on Monday.
Skuse was forced off with a recurrence of his ankle problem at half-time at Bolton last Saturday and McCarthy says the midfielder remains sidelined.
"It’s lingered on to the weekend,” he said, "He’s in a boot at the moment, which he won’t have off until Sunday and I think he’ll be back on the grass on Monday, but he’s not available tomorrow.
He says Gleeson was signed as a ready-made replacement for Skuse, who has been struggling with the ankle problem for a number of weeks.
"That’s why I took him,” McCarthy said. "Skusey’s been coming off in games with his ankle so it was common sense to try and get a similar type, if you like, the one that will sit in midfield and get the ball and pass it and do his defensive duties, and be a foil for Callum Connolly because Callum and Skusey have been excellent.”
Given Gleeson’s impressive performance from the bench at Bolton, it’s surprising the 29-year-old Ireland international hadn’t been playing in a struggling Birmingham side prior to his free switch last week.
McCarthy says it was a case of a player simply not being in the plans of a manager at a particular time.
"People have said that here about players at times, but I do try to have a good working relationship with all of them, I have actually,” he said.
"Look, he did really well last week. Let’s hope he plays as well again. I’ve known him a long time, I had him at Wolves.
"He came on as a sub when Birmingham were 1-0 down against Wolves in the game earlier in the season, TC was there watching prior to us playing Wolves.
"And he did exactly the same, he came on and got the ball, he won his tackles, he got them playing. So, he’s doing it for us now and I’m happy to have him.”
He added: "I think he’d been at Birmingham three or four years, Glees. Sometimes, are you there too long? People get bored with you, although I have heard some of the supporters say, ‘How have we let him go on a free?’. But anyway that’s not my team.”
Speaking after last week’s match at the Macron Stadium, McCarthy said Gleeson signing might not be seen as the most exciting by supporters having seen a comment about one of his previous additions being viewed as an underwhelming recruit.
"I read it in the Bolton programme,” McCarthy continued. "It’s always interesting before the game, you read it, the players read it. And I just thought, ‘Wow, people were underwhelmed about Martyn Waghorn!’.
"That’s not like giving them a chance. I know supporters all have their feelings about players and have their opinions about players but it was more of a comment that it was ‘a lot of fans’, not just ‘I was underwhelmed’, not one person.
"And I thought it’s sad that, so you have to come in and prove yourself, which is not always easy. But, wow, he’s done that, hasn’t he? In spades has Waggy, he’s been fabulous.
"And I would have thought that’s just what people would have thought about Gleeson because as much as I like players like that that have got something to prove, I’m not sure that fans of any club want to see those [types of player].
"They want to see somebody coming in where everybody goes, ‘That’s a great signing that, that’s really sexy that, that’s fantastic, brilliant’ and we all get excited about it.
"I like the ones that will come in who are tried and tested and I know what they’re going to give me. And if they become sexy on the way, then fabulous.”
Meanwhile, McCarthy was delighted to be able to sign Spurs defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, who is set to make his home debut against Wolves tomorrow having started at Bolton, on loan following his departure from Sheffield United, where he had previously been on loan.
McCarthy says he’s not sure what the story was there: "Nobody can question that one with Chris Wilder, he’s flying at the minute and Sheffield United are.
"I thought he did ever so well [with the Blades], I thought he played well in that system that they play.
"I don’t know how many loans they’ve got, though. Sheffield United might have more loans and have decided to send one back, they may well have signed a player permanently or one has come back from injury, I’ve no idea of the circumstances.
"But I’m delighted to have got him, I thought he played well last week and if he’s got a point to prove, I always like those sorts, and certainly Glees has.”
Ward, who has been out with a groin tear, and Webster, who has been sidelined with an achilles injury, look set to be on the bench tomorrow and will be in the U23s when they face Millwall at Playford Road on Monday (KO 1pm) along with Adeyemi, a longer-term absentee with hamstring and calf problems.
"They’ve both trained and trained well this week,” McCarthy said regarding Ward and Webster. "They’re both in the squad tomorrow, which is good news.
"Skusey’s the only one from last week’s game who is out. We’ve had a bit of good news, we’ve got a few coming back.
"Tom Adeyemi will be playing in the U23s on Monday, as will Webbo and Wardy. They don’t know yet, but they can read the paper.
"That’s if they’re not involved tomorrow. They need a game, definitely, and certainly Tom does. He’s been out for a long time and he’ll need that reassurance of playing a game prior to coming back and playing for the first team.”
Second-choice keeper Dean Gerken won't be involved tomorrow due to his ongoing hip problem.
"Amazing that he played at that time [against Leeds] not having trained for three weeks. He’s still got his hip problem so we’ll have Bart and Michael Crowe," McCarthy said.
Jordna Spence return to the side after completing his three-match ban but fellow right-back Dominic Iorfa is unavailable against his parent club.