Jim Gavin insists James McCarthy is fully fit and ready to go

Dublin football manager Jim Gavin has categorically stated that James McCarthy is fully recovered from a "thigh and knee" injury ahead of Saturday's All-Ireland quarter-final against Donegal at Croke Park.

McCarthy missed the Leinster final victory over Westmeath on July 17th after pulling up in training. Gavin initially played down the injury, calling it a very minor thigh strain but subsequent reports about a knee injury estimated the 2014 All Star’s rehabilitation period at up to six weeks.

“James is back on the training field and available for selection,” said Gavin this morning. “Mentally he is a very strong guy. He got a knock to the quad and the knee, the quad is the big one.”

McCarthy’s importance to Dublin is enhanced by the absence from the panel this season of fellow All Star defenders Rory O’Carroll and James McCaffrey. Also, McCarthy kept Donegal captain Michael Murphy to just one point from play over the course of their two league meetings. Both players were sent off in 51st minute of the regular season game on March 26th.

“He is an extra bit ahead in his goals so we are just delighted to have him back on grass last week, which is great news,” Gavin said before addressing the risk factor of McCarthy coming straight into the starting line-up Saturday evening: “I think for any player coming back for that first game there is that threat but he is being managed well. Once the player feels he is good to go and the medical team agrees with that consensus that’s what I take. We never put any player under any pressure to get back. It is always the medical team’s choice and the player’s choice once they feel they are 100 percent.”