Keith O'Neill's prospects of an early return from injury, have suffered a setback with the latest medical report on the damaged back which has kept him out for the last six weeks.
After various courses of treatment, including one in Germany, he looks no closer to recovering full fitness and it is now feared that he may not play again for Middlesbrough before the end of their season.
Club officials admit to being baffled by the source of the problem and while they are still not giving up on the challenge of getting the player match fit again, they concede, privately, that it is unlikely in the short term. In that situation, his chances of reclaiming a place in the Republic of Ireland team for the May 30th meeting with Scotland and the June tour of the United States, will be extremely slim.
O'Neill last appeared in the national team as a substitute in the ill-fated European Championship game in Macedonia. Subsequently, he was called up as a late replacement for the game against the Czech Republic but had to withdraw with the injury which still troubles him.
Of more immediate concern to McCarthy is the second in the series of warm up games for the World Cup against Greece at Lansdowne Road on April 25th. From a long way back he has identified this as the lesser important of his opening two fixtures, stressing the fact that a win over a powerful team like the Czech Republic would help to boost morale in the wake of the Euro 2000 disappointment.
With that mission duly achieved, he was always likely to be more enterprising in his team selection and with a full programme scheduled for the Easter weekend in England, including many fixtures on Easter Monday, just two days before the international match, the likelihood is that the manager will have little option but to indulge his sense of adventure.
The only encouraging feature at this stage is that he is likely to be able to call on the Leeds trio, Gary Kelly, Ian Harte and Stephen McPhail following the postponement of their game against Watford, originally arranged for April 24th.
Providing nothing untoward happens during the next four weeks, it means that McPhail, grown to new maturity in an outstanding season at Elland Road, is almost certain to win his first full cap in midfield against the Greeks.
Another player in line to make his first appearance is Andy O'Brien, the Bradford defender who represented England in non-competitive Under-21 fixtures for before pledging his future to Ireland.
Like his team-mates, O'Brien suffered in Bradford's collective stress against Manchester United at the weekend but in line with McCarthy's promise to examine all his options in central defence, he may be awarded the place filled by Sunderland's Paul Butler against the Czech Republic.
Steve Finnan of Fulham has also impressed McCarthy with his rate of development this season but it remains to be seen if club commitments permit him to travel to Dublin.
Among the disturbing features of the English club season for the Ireland manager has been the decline in form of three established international players, Steve Staunton and Phil Babb (Liverpool) and Gary Breen (Coventry).
None of the trio is currently in favour at their clubs but the upside is that there should not be any difficulty in securing their clearance for the Greece fixture.
Meanwhile, Staunton, together with Tony Cascarino will be in Dublin today, to announce details of their joint testimonial game at Lansdowne Road on May 21st, the last in a series which has proved so lucrative for senior players down through the years.
They are expected to announce that Liverpool will provide the opposition for a Republic of Ireland X1 and in view of the renaissance at Anfield this season, it looks certain to attract a huge crowd.
